The role of AI in clinical trials
Clinical trials play a crucial role in the development and approval of new medical treatments, but, due to the many inefficiencies, they’ve traditionally been the rate-limiting step to bringing a new drug to market.
This is where AI comes in. AI is revolutionizing how trials are conducted. It provides a way to analyze and interpret the vast amounts of data generated, and make predictions about outcomes.
From identifying potential trial participants to predicting patient responses to treatment, AI helps make clinical trials more efficient and effective. And it automates routine tasks, freeing up time and resources.
This article looks at AI’s potential to accelerate and facilitate effective clinical trials with improved patient participation and experience.
AI enables virtual trials
One of the major challenges for clinical trials has always been finding the right patients, and then recruiting and retaining them. Patients needed to live near the research site or be willing to travel if they wanted to participate and get access to treatments that could save their lives.
This need for frequent travel to the trial site, and the time commitment required once there, would negatively affect patient retention. There could also be an issue around diversity within clinical trials, as trial sites may be inaccessible to underrepresented populations. This often led to disproportionate representation within participant groups depending on the area.
AI has enabled clinical trials to be carried out remotely from patient’s homes through a web-based platform, plus sensors and other wearable devices to allow patient monitoring and collect trial data.
This removes the need for patients to travel to a clinical site, so improves patient enrollment and engagement, while reducing costs.
Virtual trials remove geographic barriers, allowing researchers to increase diversity among trial participants. It also enables the recruiting of more patients for trials testing treatments for rare diseases so the results become meaningful.
AI and data management
i) Patient recruitment and screening
Manually screening and interviewing patients for clinical trials consumes enormous amounts of time and resources. By leveraging AI, researchers can screen huge volumes of patient data quickly and accurately, and locate prospective participants based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria.
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can gather preliminary data, answer patients’ questions, and inform them about the research. They also prompt and encourage them to participate.
ii) Sheer volume of trial data
The volume of data generated by clinical trials has increased dramatically in recent years, with the incorporation of additional data sources, including wearable devices, social media, and electronic health records.
While this provides opportunities to gain deeper insights into diseases and treatments, it also presents challenges for researchers in terms of how to manage it.
AI-powered data management technologies are transforming how researchers approach clinical trial data and the accurate and efficient management of the massive volume of data generated.
iii) Catching patterns and trends
Advanced AI can be leveraged to uncover intricate patterns within the enormous amounts of data produced by clinical trials. These patterns are immensely valuable as they unveil trends that would usually go undetected via traditional methods. The real-time analysis permits researchers to detect trends and make informed decisions.
AI can also make predictions on patient behavior and drug efficacy based on data patterns identified. This information adds tremendous value to researchers as they can design tailored and effective trials based on patient demographics, treatment plans, and dosages.
iv) Predictive modeling
AI automates eligibility analysis to identify the patient populations most likely to benefit from a new therapy, and matches potential participants to the trial in question. These insights lower the risk of trial failure and patient injury while increasing the likelihood of success.
Conventional techniques for detecting unexpected side effects depend on manual reporting, which can be laborious and prone to mistakes. AI expedites this process by detecting possible adverse events more quickly and accurately than traditional methods.
AI and patient experience
AI can be a game changer in improving patient experience in clinical trials. Leveraging AI in patient interactions helps reduce dropout rates by making the entire trial process more patient-centric, helping to create a better, more engaging patient experience.
Virtual trials increase patient engagement and participation, streamline trial processes, and reduce costs. By investing in telemedicine and remote monitoring technologies, trials can be conducted as efficiently and effectively as possible, while still providing effective patient care and safety.
Additionally, AI-triggered smartphone alerts and reminders help with adherence and retention, and AI chatbots, intelligent search, and voice assistance all improve patient access to relevant trial information.
The future of clinical trials
Advances in AI technology and data management are revolutionizing the way we approach research, and clinical trials are evolving rapidly.
AI can help researchers manage and analyze the huge volumes of trial data much faster than before, identifying patterns and helping to predict results.
Download our free guide on the impact of AI in life sciences by clicking on the link below.
