Clinical trials undoubtedly continue to be essential to advancements in medicine; however, clinical trials often face challenges in participation. There are a myriad of hurdles to patient enrollment, and security is very much one of them. Before outlining these concerns, let’s zoom out and discuss why some of the broad challenges in unlocking the value of clinical data, and then address the role security plays in alleviating them.
A recent study found that around 20% of cancer clinical trials fail because of insufficient patient enrollment. Unlocking the value of real world data (RWD), or data extracted from sources such as patient medical records or health information, has emerged as another means of gaining insights from patient populations for the betterment of healthcare. In fact, the FDA has acknowledged the importance of the growth in RWD, which can ultimately support FDA regulatory decisions. Yet, many hospitals and health systems still have not adequately prioritized the management of its clinical data to better serve public health. So, what are the factors hindering hospital and health systems from sharing their clinical data to fulfill its potential?