Approximately 64 percent of potential and former or current trial participants say they would like to have a combination of in-person visits and telehealth visits in future clinical trials, according to a new survey.

Telehealth alone doesn’t seem to be a preferred method for data collection among the 316 medical professionals and 307 members from the pharmaceutical industry who were surveyed.

Up to 61 percent of the surveyed medical professionals and 64 percent of members from the pharmaceutical industry said they would like to see more trials that combine telehealth with in-person visits in the future.

In contrast, only eight percent of medical professionals and 14 percent of members from the pharmaceutical industry said they wanted telehealth-only visits in trials going forward. Approximately 31 percent of medical professionals and 22 percent of the pharmaceutical industry indicated they wanted only in-person visits in future trials.

The annual “Study Voices” survey from BBK Worldwide included responses from 613 people, of whom 47 percent were current or former clinical trial participants. Only 10 percent of these respondents said they wanted telehealth-only visits in future clinical trials, and 26 percent said they would prefer only in-person visits.

Approximately 21 percent of the public said they have had one telehealth visit this year. The majority of these — 62 percent — rated their virtual visit between eight and 10 on a one-to-10 scale, with 10 representing a positive experience.

The survey also revealed that 43 percent of the public has increased awareness of clinical trials since the onset of COVID-19. In addition, the survey showed that there is a 47 percent greater willingness among the public to consider participating in clinical trials.

When asked what would influence their willingness to participate in a clinical trial, the majority of respondents rated “immediate reimbursement for study-related expenses” as the most important factor. Other solutions rated as important for influencing the decision to participate in a trial included having access to a study-related website, being able to text with study staff and having medication delivered to the home.