Lisa Henderson
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The thing about EDC—now that everyone is on board and the question of the adoption curve has been answered—is the abundance
of topics falling under the "What Comes Next?" category. With acceptance comes refinement, and there is no lack of areas that
are refining EDC. Service, compatible product integration, interactivity, new applications, implementation, added technologies,
success stories and case studies, new uses....the list goes on. The reach of EDC is also broad, from tools for the clinical
trial study staff, to the sponsor, to the subject, and to the FDA or other regulatory body. In this issue and the accompanying
supplement, EDC & Information Technology, we have articles about choosing technology vendors; implementing successful eClinical and EDC programs; and highlights of
new uses and products for EDC and EDM.
Once a software is chosen, there is service. Or is the choice of software influenced by the service offered behind the product?
Does your technology provider give the level of service that you and your trial need? Technology providers are now more than
just that. Most have indoctrinated a form of service that makes them true partners to your study. Many technology vendors
will guide their clients through the product launch or even create a support team that builds bridges and interfaces between
multiple technology vendor products, such as the case with PharmaPros.
Other forms of post-EDC nirvana include interactivity of programs. Where once there were separate EDC and IVRS or IWRS software,
some companies are combining these products. To whit, the DIA EuroMeeting in Barcelona featured the debut for such announcements
from both Almac Clinical Technologies and ClinPhone. Almac expanded its Express Suite to integrate its IXR/iTrial capabilities.
ClinPhone is combining its EDC and IVR/IWR into one data sharing solution.
The EDC and cell phone connection is taking a firm hold in this new era. Both Nextrials and Exco InTouch have adopted the
cell phone for some interesting data uses. The Nextrials product works specifically with iPhone to enable remote access to
Web-based trial data management for the trial professional. Exco's product is a specifically cell phone-based text messaging
technology geared toward subject recruitment and subject compliance during a trial, and the system can be connected to EDC
or IVRs if required. Top executives from Exco, Tim Davis and Patrick Hughes, hail from EDC corporate backgrounds: CRF and
ClinPhone, respectively. Phase Forward recently announced 2007 profits up by 26%. Medidata for the past few months has announced alliances and new
customers using its Rave product and is additionally promoting Rave to the postmarketing segment. This is just a small sample
of the never-ending news and information coming to the fore in EDC. To help readers navigate EDC and manage these developments,
Applied Clinical Trials will be launching an e-newsletter this month devoted to EDC and accompanying technologies called EDC & IT Solutions.
Lisa Henderson
Editor-in-Chief
email: lhenderson@advanstar.com
http://www.actmagazine.com/
