Clinical research organizations (CROs) use a variety of technologies to manage clinical trials. These technologies include clinical trial management software (CTMS), clinical data management systems (CDMS), and open source tools. CTMS helps researchers plan, manage, and monitor clinical trial data, while CDMS is used to manage the large amount of data generated in multicenter trials. Open source tools are also available for free and offer similar functionality as commercial CDMS.
Additionally, CROs may use customized CDMS tools to meet their specific needs. Clinical trial feasibility software is also used to calculate which sites are likely to find enough patients for a particular study. Clinical trial management software (VISION) is offered in three solutions: VISION Study Builder, VISION ePRO, and VISION Study Startup. VISION Study Builder allows users to create their own electronic data capture (EDC) using a drag-and-drop interface. VISION ePRO makes it easy to collect clinical data from patients and synchronize it with the EDC system.
VISION Study Startup offers tools to help manage clinical studies remotely. The most commonly used commercial CDMS are ORACLE CLINICAL, CLINTRIAL, MACRO, RAVE, and eClinical Suite. Open source tools include OpenClinica, OpenCDMS, TrialDB, and PhosCo. These programs can be downloaded from their respective websites. A clinical trial management system (CTMS) is responsible for managing all operational aspects of a clinical trial from start to finish.
CTMS simplifies the conduct of studies and improves visibility across a site's entire research portfolio. However, there are still gaps in collaboration between CROs and sponsors. CROs have a strong desire to help sponsors with protocol design but have a high turnover rate. Leading clinical software and technology companies offer solutions for clinical trial automation software platforms and cloud-based repositories, digital solutions for medical adherence and patient retention, and software solutions for clinical trials. The Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) has developed standards to support the acquisition, exchange, submission, and archiving of clinical research data and metadata. Castor EDC is a modern and easy-to-use clinical trial solution that meets the needs of different industries.
Ripple is designed to address researchers' biggest challenges when it comes to recruiting, engaging, and retaining patients. Encapsia is a powerful clinical trial management platform that can capture clinical data and metadata online and offline. CTMS is not a new technology but has been around for two decades. It continues to be used by research sites and organizations as they navigate the ever-changing environment of clinical trials and research.
