Digital Tools for Efficient Clinical Trials

Learn how digital tools can be used throughout clinical trials

This four-week clinical trials course is designed to create awareness about the availability and use of digital tools for the recruitment and retention of participants within clinical trials.

You’ll explore the key tools for recruitment and retention, how they are used and their overall advantages and limitations.

Develop an understanding of what digital tools are

You’ll firstly develop an understanding of what digital tools are and how they are used within the context of clinical trials.

You’ll then evaluate examples of digital tools that have been used for recruitment and retention of participants within clinical trials.

Identify ways in which digital tools could be used to support clinical trials

You’ll then identify the ways in which digital tools can be used to support clinical trials, and will explore the evidence for the effectiveness of digital tools.

You’ll then discuss the aspects that a researcher would need to consider if they intend to use one of these tools, and identify useful further information to discover further.

Learn with clinical trial experts from the University of Southampton

Throughout the duration of the course, you’ll be under the guidance of Jacqui Nuttall, Head of Trial Management in the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, and Giorgos Dritsakis, a trial manager and lead researcher in the same unit.

The course will draw heavily on research findings from an NIHR-funded (National Institute for Health Research) project on research using technology in clinical trials. The team has an internationally-recognised reputation in understanding the development of successful clinical trials, and you’ll be able to engage with stakeholders throughout the process.

This course is primarily intended for staff in clinical trial units (CTUs), Research Design Services (RDSs), monitoring staff in the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NTSCC), National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) grant applicants, funding board members, referees and other professionals involved in clinical trials.

• Introduction to this course
• Welcome
• Are digital tools for me?
• Our research project: digital tools in action
• Week 1 - summary activities
• Digital tools for recruitment
• Welcome to week 2
• Tools to raise trial awareness
• Tools to identify participants
• Summary activities
• Digital tools for retention
• Welcome to week 3
• Using tools as trial prompts or reminders
• Summary activities
• Considerations when using digital tools
• Welcome to week 4
• The need for evidence
• Digital tools in action
• Qualitative data
• Week 4 - summary activities