Author: Andrés Escallón, Vice President of eCOA Solutions Strategy
Snapshot:
- Higher data quality through eCOA: eCOA promotes accurate, consistent, and reliable data while avoiding issues like incomplete or illegible entries often associated with paper-based collection methods.
- Streamlined data management with digital platforms: Centralized eCOA platforms can help simplify workflows, reduce errors, and enhance patient and site compliance, making clinical trials more efficient.
- Focusing on what matters most: Study teams that use eCOA to collect only essential data to answer critical research questions can simplify their trials and advance therapies with greater confidence.
During a recent webinar, Navigating the Next Wave of Innovation in eCOA, I spoke with industry leaders Jill V. Platko, Ph.D., Vice President of Scientific Services; and Ian Jennings, Executive Vice President of Enterprise eCOA Sales to discuss the critical role of eCOA in data management. This blog explores how eCOA improves upon traditional paper-based collection methods by driving higher data quality, operational simplicity, and patient-centric outcomes.
Good science relies on good data
Clinical trials, at their core, are complex science experiments aimed at determining the efficacy and safety of new therapies. For these trials to succeed, they rely on high-quality data to guide decision-making and regulatory approvals. As Ian explained, “The whole point of doing a clinical trial is that it’s a science experiment. We’ve got control groups. We’re trying to determine efficacy. We’re trying to advance healthcare by introducing new therapies. And we need to know if they work and need to know they're safe.” When data is incomplete or inconsistent, it undermines the very foundation of the study.
Additionally, Jill emphasized the importance of focusing on collecting only the data necessary to meet study objectives. “I think what happens is that with all of this technology, study teams sometimes lose sight of what they're trying to learn. They need to come back to the basics. They need to focus on their endpoints,” she said. Excessive data points, she cautioned, can divert study teams from what truly matters—data that answers critical research questions while avoiding unnecessary complexity.
Moving beyond paper-based approaches
One of the most significant advancements that eCOA offers is the ability to move away from cumbersome and error-prone paper-based methods. Traditional paper diaries often result in protocol deviations due to inconsistent or late entries. Jill highlighted this issue, noting how paper diaries are frequently completed inaccurately or out of sequence, leading to unreliable data.
By capturing data electronically, clinical trial teams can trust that the information being collected is consistent with study protocols. I highlighted how eCOA enhances reliability compared to paper, joking, “What happens when a patient writes something, and it can’t be read or is illegible? What happens when someone writes ‘pancakes’ as an answer to how they felt today?” eCOA systems allow for proactive guardrails to be put into place such as drop-down lists and edit checks that ask users to confirm what they intended to enter. This kind of functionality paves the way for higher-quality data collection.
Better data management with eCOA
Beyond improving data quality, eCOA can simplify data management, especially when paired with other clinical trial technologies like IRT. Ian stressed how crucial it is to reduce burdens for trial sites and patients, making processes more straightforward and efficient. eCOA reduces the likelihood of human error since diary data doesn’t need to be manually transcribed. When eCOA is unified on a single platform with other solutions, clinical trials benefit from streamlined workflows with a single sign-on and the ability to share data across systems, reducing the potential for sites and participants to make mistakes or introduce data discrepancies, because they use a common back-end and can leverage passive data collection. These advancements don’t just improve compliance—they enhance the overall experience for both study teams and participants.
Digital systems provide a consistent, seamless way to collect and manage data, even as studies scale or become more complex. The ability to trust eCOA-generated data enables sponsors and regulators to have confidence in trial results, allowing for quicker decision-making and faster time-to-market for life-saving therapies.
eCOA advances clinical trials
eCOA data is a key component of clinical trial data management, combining innovation with simplicity. By addressing challenges associated with paper-based methods and emphasizing the importance of high-quality data, eCOA solutions can help study teams to focus on what matters most—advancing medicine. I shared my conviction that, “eCOA’s full potential is realized when joined on a best-in-breed single platform that harmonizes data across technologies. We shouldn’t settle for cobbled-together solutions that do nothing to solve the data management challenges that sponsors and CRO’s experience in today’s trials.”
The insights shared in this webinar highlight an important shift in the industry. Everyone on the webinar agreed—eCOA is no longer just a tool; it’s a necessity for successful, modern clinical trials. As the industry evolves, eCOA will remain at the forefront, redefining how data is collected, managed, and utilized to improve healthcare outcomes.
Author
Andrés Escallón
Vice President of eCOA Solutions Strategy,
Suvoda
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