Challenge
One of the largest rural, not-for-profit healthcare systems in the US was becoming frustrated with its inability to centrally manage and monitor clinical research operations, patient safety, and compliance. In addition, it was struggling to ensure sponsors were properly invoiced for services performed as part of clinical research. With a multi-site research network, a lot was on the line.
The system’s managers were relying on spreadsheets to track clinical trial activity, which did not allow them to have seamless, real-time oversight and information required to successfully run their enterprise. It was daunting for them to accurately determine if they were losing money, or if patients arriving in emergency rooms were clinical trial participants.
Additionally, without a suitable and robust infrastructure, they were in no position to enhance their level of industry sponsored research.
Nonetheless, they set a goal to transform their system – to have real time information on all of their US – and international-based clinical trials managed within a single clinical trials management system (CTMS). This would enable them to report on outcomes in an efficient and timely manner, and support research advancement.
Solution
WCG Velos eResearch Clinical Research Management System (CRMS) supported the health care system by creating a single centralized system across the entire ecosystem, which included a cancer center and multiple hospitals with multi-state and worldwide presence. The institution increased operational efficiencies and compliance, and reduced financial overhead by:
- Implementing a single CTMS that managed finances, tracked patients, managed studies, developed case report forms (CRFs), and reported across the system’s expansive national and global enterprise.
- Integrating Velos with the health system’s Epic electronic health record, including retrieve protocol for execution (RPE) and admit discharge transfer (ADT; a.k.a. demographics) interfaces. This robust integration increased patient safety and research billing compliance by identifying patients in the emergency room and preventing incorrect billing.
- Integrating with Lawson Financial to generate clinical research financial invoicing, which boosted efficiency and tracked clinical trial financial health.