Advarra Publishes 2024 Site-Sponsor-CRO Collaboration Survey Results to Improve Clinical Research

Survey identifies three barriers to stakeholder collaboration, including communications, staffing, and technology, and five key actions to improve alignment.

COLUMBIA, Md., Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Advarra, the market leader in regulatory review solutions and clinical research technology for sites, sponsors, and clinical research organizations (CROs), today published the results of its 2024 Site-Sponsor-CRO Collaboration Survey. The survey captures perspectives and experiences from 200+ stakeholders from sites, sponsor organizations, and CROs. The report features data and insights from sites, sponsors, and CROs and distills findings into three barriers that prevent greater collaboration and, ultimately, delay trial execution while offering specific actions companies can take to create sustainable changes to advance clinical research.

Stakeholders Want Improved Clarity and Frequency of Communication
Survey respondents agree on the importance of communication, but there is a clear need for improvement, as 60% of site respondents and 43% of sponsor/CRO respondents ranked the need for improved communications as important or very important. 

Despite that, the survey shows a striking difference in the frequency of communications. Currently, 68% of sites report initiating daily or weekly communication, while only 24% of sponsors/CROs report initiating daily or weekly communication. About half of sites (53%) and sponsors/CROs (50%) say they would prefer to communicate regularly with updates on trial progress.

One site respondent said, "Communication and follow up is the most important part of my role as investigator…The rapport and relationship between sponsor/CRO, site, and investigator are most important in determining trial outcomes."

Training and Education Are Key to Address Staffing Issues

One quarter (25%) of site respondents and 16% of sponsors/CROs pointed to staffing issues as an area needing improvement. Most respondents from both groups – 92% of sponsor/CRO and 98% of site respondents – say a single point of contact is "valuable," "very valuable," or "extremely valuable." Among other needs, sites specifically seek better education and training for new, inexperienced clinical research associates (CRAs).

The staffing challenge at sites continues to persist across the U.S. Nationwide; for every experienced clinical research coordinator seeking work, seven jobs are posted. The Alliance for Multispecialty Research (AMR), in fact, recently invested in better staff training by standardizing on Advarra's site training and engagement solution within Longboat, deploying it to site staff across 30+ research centers.

Improved Technology Approaches Can Enable Collaboration

The survey revealed agreement between both sites (46%) and sponsor/CROs (53%) that better technology would improve their relationships with one another; however, the alignment ended there. Despite the continued increase in the number of systems sites use – only 29% of site respondents agreed or strongly agreed that sponsor/CRO technology solutions deliver the promised value for integration and efficiency. And just 33% of site respondents agreed or strongly agreed that sponsor/CRO technology improved the efficiency of the trial.

Overall, the complex technology burden cited by survey respondents suggests that it would be beneficial to have all forms of significant interactions – from study startup activities, including Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Ethics Committee (EC) reviews, through to study execution – managed using centralized, connected technology solutions. In fact, 86% of sponsors/CROs and 84% of sites say a centralized trial communications platform would be "valuable," "very valuable," or "extremely valuable."

Five Actions to Improve Collaboration

The report also provides insights and specific actions determined by Advarra to improve stakeholder working relationships. Each recommendation is designed to create bridges to accelerate clinical trials:

1. Implement integrated technology systems
2. Enhance communications channels
3. Optimize reporting, visibility, and feedback
4. Empower protocol adherence
5. Improve staff training

"Sites, sponsors, and CROs have good intentions, but they often work in siloes, isolated from the daily concerns of one another, which – over time – creates friction and slows trials," said Christine Senn, vice president of site-sponsor innovation at Advarra. "With strong relationships across stakeholders, Advarra is uniquely positioned to create common ground to drive innovation and advance clinical research."

About the Advarra 2024 Site-Sponsor/CRO Collaboration Survey

The 2024 Site-Sponsor/CRO Survey aimed to capture the perspectives and experiences of two audiences: (1) clinical trial sites (i.e., principal investigator, clinical research coordinator, etc.) and (2) clinical operations leadership at clinical trial sponsors or CROs. The respondents' organization type (i.e., site or sponsor/CRO) determined the series of questions they received. In total, the survey received 234 complete responses – 92% of respondents were from North America; of these, 99% were from the U.S. Site respondents accounted for 79% (n=186), and Sponsor/CRO respondents accounted for 21% (n=48).

Additional Information

• Download the Advarra 2024 Site-Sponsor/CRO Collaboration Survey Report
• Connect with Advarra on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/advarra

About Advarra 
Advarra breaks the silos that impede clinical research, aligning patients, sites, sponsors, and CROs in a connected ecosystem to accelerate trials. Advarra is number one in research review services, site and sponsor technology, and clinical trial experience software and is trusted by the top 50 global biopharma sponsors, top 20 CROs, and 50,000 site investigators worldwide. Advarra solutions enable collaboration, transparency, and speed needed to optimize trial operations, ensure patient safety and engagement, and reimagine clinical research while improving compliance. For more information, visit advarra.com.

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SOURCE Advarra