Applied Clinical Trials: Director of Commercial Strategy and Innovation at Cadient, a Cognizant Company, Lists Five Untapped Opportunities for Elevating Investigator Meetings

“Over the last 30 years, the process of clinical research and clinical trials have undergone a revolution, one that has expanded the complexity, global reach and sheer quantity of trials. Despite these changes, investigator meetings have not evolved,” writes Ken Fabianovicz.  “Fortunately, digital technologies and strategic design approaches are beginning to dramatically reimagine the investigator meeting experience, enabling more open discussions on scientific background or studying drugs and their key inclusions/exclusions.” Excerpts:

“By concentrating on the following key concepts, investigators will be able to create more powerful meetings, help ensure successful trials and drive engagement, accuracy, long-term retention and social interaction among investigators:

1. Think Beyond the Meeting: While it is important to make a meeting as productive as possible, investigators should not overlook the chance to engage attendees before and after the live event. Password protected portals are a powerful platform that can engage investigators prior to them arriving onsite, allowing them to review basic materials before the meeting, as well as begin to network with fellow investigators and staff.

2. Reimagine Collaboration: Simple ice breaker tactics, including interactive protocol recall quizzes, maps of study sites and sponsor and contract research organization study team biographies can liven up welcome dinners and receptions by facilitating connections and building camaraderie amongst team members.

3. Increase Comprehension: In a work environment marked by data overload, infographics are another powerful tool for condensing complex protocol data into meaningful and memorable takeaways.

4. Accelerate Communication: Providing tablets for all attendees during the meeting can improve dissemination of information. It has also shown to increase the number of questions asked due to the fact that attendees can remain anonymous. Additionally, tablets and other wireless technologies also aid as a mechanism for measuring investigators’ real-time comprehension of the event. 

5. Leverage Digital to Drive Retention: Another crucial component of driving a successful investigator meeting is to engage participants over the course of the event. For example, breakout groups are an effective tactic for driving communications and heightening the meeting experience, as immersive learning and digital interaction experiences like a trial run simulation, can lead to much deeper engagement

Live investigator meetings remain a key milestone in the clinical trial process, and represent a significant investment of time, attention and money for everyone involved. To create more effective meetings and receive a greater return on this investment, organizations should put strategies into place that focus on these five key strategies, as well as ensure all key protocol information is delivered in an engaging and memorable manner.”

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