Site Spotlight: Centricity Takes Strategic Approach to Evaluating Technology
A clear-cut tech strategy is critical for sites in this technology-heavy climate, yet many function without one, opening them up for inefficiencies, extra burden, disconnects and overall fatigue, warns one site network expert whose organization developed an approach that systematically evaluates, implements and cyclically reassesses its tech solutions.
For Centricity Research, a large-scale site network and integrated research organization, implementing a well-considered and comprehensive technology plan has been highly beneficial, says Lydia Beaudette, director of growth and strategic partnerships.
“I encourage everyone to take a look at how they approach technology decisions,” Beaudette says, focusing on “the true value that a tech system will bring, in order to make your day-to-day or your long-term planning more efficient.”
Evaluating Potential Tech Solutions
There are many factors to consider once a technology need has been identified internally, she says, advising sites to start with the needs and abilities of staff members who will use and be impacted by the system, such as CRCs, investigators and staff that handle regulatory compliance, contracts and budgeting, patient engagement and quality management.
Follow that assessment by identifying the site’s particular pain points, inefficiencies and primary business goals.
Once the site has compiled a short list of tech candidates that cover all the important considerations, it’s time to reach out to colleagues and competitors for their feedback.
“Open up those as collaborative-as-possible conversations,” she advises. “Ask what systems they’re using.” In addition, current staff may be able to contribute insights on tech solutions they’ve worked with elsewhere.
It’s also important to think about whether the solution will be custom-built or come off-the-shelf as well as the timelines and implications for each choice. If it’s a fully customized build, for instance, it’s wise to gauge whether your site truly has the internal resources and time to put it together and what impact this effort could have on other site operations.
Evaluation Tool
Centricity’s technology-selection strategy is based on what Beaudette calls an “evaluation matrix” that lists all of the features a site needs from a new tech solution and assigns a level of importance, or “weight,” to each based on a five-point scale.
An evaluation matrix for a clinical trial management system (CTMS) might list financial tracking, visit scheduling, patient profiles and recruitment.
If a site has had difficulty with financial tracking, for example, it might give that area a weight of two compared to a less troublesome area that gets a weight of one.
A second matrix would list each tech candidate, score them on their ability to meet each need the site has identified, and multiply that score by the weight assigned on the previous matrix.
You’ll be left with something that will help you compare solutions and ultimately make the best pick for your site, Beaudette says.
The price of each product, of course, will play a part as well. “This is just giving us some data,” she says, “that’s going to help build that decision-making process.”
Closing Out Evaluations
Once final candidates have been identified, Beaudette recommends doing cost comparison analyses and considering each tech provider’s history and future growth.
She stresses the importance of looking into a vendor’s product development pipeline and asking the vendor for its customer feedback.
“Work in partnership as much as possible with tech vendors so you feeling like you’re able to have influence on the direction that’s going, but also make sure it’s going to continue to work for you two-to-three years down the line,” she advises.
Finally, one or two candidates will need to be pitched to decisionmakers. Beaudette recommends involving site leadership, central teams and key users. Present your evaluation findings and gather feedback.
Finishing the Job
To Centricity Research, the final two components of a solid technology strategy are system implementation — project management, change management and training implementation — and continual reevaluation of tech solutions.
During the development process for a tech strategy, Beaudette believes it’s important for sites to:
- Consider how they’re gauging the success of tech solutions, including key performance indicators (KPI) and staff feedback;
- Thoughtfully define the key stakeholders at each stage of tech implementation;
- Always consider data security and integrity when making decisions;
- Clearly define the people responsible for identifying and evaluating tech opportunities; and
- Consider the organization’s position on technology adoption — whether it wants to be an early adopter of technology or a company that waits for others to jump the hurdles of early adoption.