Investigator meetings are increasingly being conducted online to save money and increase convenience. Here we present the five best ways to get the most from your investigator interactions throughout a clinical trial:
CATEGORIES: Clinical Trial; Investigator Meeting; Top Tips; Virtual Interactive.
Strong investigator motivation is critical to a well-conducted clinical trial and cannot be ignored. It is essential to maximise the investigator experience with each communication and to convey the importance of their role in drug development. Motivation can be achieved by increasing inclusion, engagement, humour and, most crucially, the level of interaction in the virtual investigator meeting.
The provision of professional, all-round support provides an excellent experience for investigators, with continuity and reassurance for the sponsor. Full-service support for a virtual investigator meeting should include high-quality scientific consultation with a clinically experienced project leader to ensure your objectives are carefully pursued in the agenda, moderation and/or moderator support, comprehensive logistical support and technical excellence throughout each of the planning, preparation, delivery and output stages.
Cameras encourage participation in a virtual meeting and should be mandatory for all attendees. In addition, cameras increase the personal feel of a virtual meeting, promoting peer-to-peer interaction and aiding moderator-driven discussions. Furthermore, virtual investigator meetings provide the opportunity for whole teams of study site staff to attend, learn and contribute simultaneously.
The primary purpose of each investigator meeting is defined by the study sponsor and should be the paramount consideration when designing the agenda. Scientific consultants should work closely with the sponsor to develop a bespoke programme that ensures the key objective will be met by the end of the meeting. A well-designed agenda will ensure that solutions are uncovered and that discussions are focused appropriately.
In multicentre studies, it is important to know that each study site has attended, understood and contributed to the discussions during an investigator meeting. This can be achieved by the application of specific tools to provoke active participation throughout the meeting, holding investigator interest whilst maximising feedback to the sponsor. For example, the recent emergence of virtual interactive (Vi) investigator meetings has demonstrated an effective use of customised online interactions to ensure 100% participation from investigator sites.
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