Sonali Bloom is CEO of 20/20 Onsite.
Access to healthcare is a chronic and pressing challenge, especially in rural and underserved communities. Even in well-served metro areas, patients often struggle to get the care they need.
In its simplest form, the problem is a supply and demand issue: the number of people needing care vastly exceeds the number of providers available, particularly in specialty fields like eye care. It can take weeks or months to book an appointment, even a virtual visit. The result: delayed diagnoses, worsening conditions and worse health outcomes across the board.
Clinical Trials: A Microcosm Of The Access Crisis
Nowhere is the impact of access gaps more visible than in clinical trials. Beyond pure financial compensation, these trials offer enormous benefits, from experimental treatments for conditions that may not respond to existing therapies to the knowledge that your effort may help someone else find a cure in the long run.
Yet most patients still struggle to find trials that are right for them. If your doctor isn’t aware of relevant research, and you don’t happen to live near a major medical center, it’s hard to stay in the loop. You might start scouring the NIH’s clinicaltrials.gov database only to discover confusing criteria or unclear enrollment windows. Then there’s the distance factor; clinical trials are often based at large academic hospitals or dedicated research centers, which might be hours away or more.
This affects trial sponsors just as much as patients. Clinical researchers, biopharma companies and CROs consistently struggle to enroll enough participants. This delays trial timelines and drives up costs. For a blockbuster drug, every day of delay can mean $2.7 million in lost revenue. That kind of pressure can make or break a product launch for a treatment that could potentially save lives.
Closing The Gap
Thankfully, we’re starting to chip away at the problem. One silver lining to the pandemic is how it accelerated the development of telehealth and decentralized trial models. We’re now seeing lasting benefits from that shift.
Patient-trial matching platforms use AI to scan patient records and match people to trials based on eligibility. A provider can input criteria and instantly identify suitable participants. This improves accuracy and efficiency and removes much of the guesswork from the process.
We’re also seeing the rise of hybrid trial models that allow for flexible participation. Mobile health units can now bring trials directly to a patient’s neighborhood, or even their driveway; you can have blood draws, vitals and other complex assessments done without setting foot in a brick-and-mortar clinic. Telehealth visits eliminate the burden of travel, and wearable devices offer continuous, passive health monitoring from afar. These approaches make participation far easier by drastically reducing the time and effort required from patients.
Decentralized models don’t just help patients. They also improve trial timelines and reduce recruitment costs, as well as ensure broader, more representative participation. That’s a win for sponsors, regulators and the healthcare system as a whole.
The business community plays a crucial role here. Investment in these technologies boosts economic growth even as it supports public health. In many places, life sciences and healthcare are major economic engines. When you invest in innovation, you create local jobs, support regional GDP and pave the way for future therapies that can transform lives.
Moving The Needle Forward
Improving access to clinical trials is one of the most powerful ways we can help people live longer, healthier lives. It fuels the development of new therapies and ensures innovation reaches the patients who need it most. In the process, it improves healthcare outcomes for society as a whole and supports a critical sector of the economy.
There’s a lot of uncertainty in clinical research right now, but we can’t afford to slow down. We need to support innovation, close access gaps and ensure that breakthroughs in science actually reach the people who need them. Because better access doesn’t just change lives—it saves them.
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