6 Ways Purpose-Built Technology Can Modernize Cancer Observational Study Management

Observational studies are pivotal in driving cancer breakthroughs, providing insights into the environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors that influence cancer development and prevention. This real-world data is the cornerstone of targeted prevention strategies, leading to life-saving discoveries.

The landscape of cancer epidemiology and cancer observational studies has seen a significant change in the last decade with the role of multi-modal, multi-omics data introducing complexity and opportunity to better understand the connection between populations and the basis of disease.

Despite their importance and evolution, little investment has been made in specialized technology for managing these studies most effectively, creating a bottleneck that prevents researchers from accelerating their work.

However, top research organizations like the American Cancer Society (ACS) are transitioning from outdated study management methods to purpose-built technology. This shift helps optimize their time, increase participant engagement, and enhance the quality and quantity of data collected.

To achieve this, the American Cancer Society has adopted Manifold's Cancer Observational Study Management solution, which streamlines both the launch and overall management of their studies.

Manifold's solution enhances the management of cancer observational studies through six core principles:

1. Ethical data management
   Security and ethical data use are paramount in cancer research. Partnering with technology providers that offer rigorous IRB data usage and security reviews ensures participant information is handled with the utmost care, maintaining confidentiality and integrity throughout the study.
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2. Effective and analysis-ready surveys and questions
   ‍Modern technologies create surveys that require minimal data transformation, making them readily usable for analysis. Seamless conditional logic, validation rules to flag and address participant answers that fall outside expected ranges, and automatically pulling in known participant data to reduce redundancy all save significant time, reduce errors, and enhance data reliability.
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3. Mobile-optimized, consumer-first participant portal
   Ensuring ease of participation is crucial for study success, but participants are often required to navigate multiple, unfamiliar systems, which can hinder their progress. By offering a mobile-optimized, familiarly branded solution, participants can conveniently perform all study-related activities, such as giving consent, taking surveys, reporting diagnoses, participating in biospecimen collection, and consenting to release medical records. This approach increases the likelihood of participants completing the study by eliminating initial barriers.
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4. Centralized participant and study data
   Creating a central, connected location for study teams to facilitate work and collaborate throughout the course of a study streamlines management processes. Uniting all participant data, surveys, and enrollment processes into a single, intuitive hub eliminates the burden of managing multiple, disconnected systems. This enhances data accuracy and accessibility, enabling researchers to track progress, analyze data, and make informed decisions more effectively.
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5. Automated manual workflows
   Automating study-related tasks streamlines management and boosts participant engagement. By automating workflows for consent assignment, registration, and surveys, along with automated email reminders, researchers can minimize manual efforts and maintain high participant involvement throughout the enrollment process.
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6. Optimized recruitment and enrollment
   As the study progresses, continuously optimizing recruitment and enrollment is essential. Real-time dashboards with cohort enrollment metrics allow for more targeted recruitment efforts and insights that typically take significant analysis effort to gain, ultimately leading to longer enrollment periods. This data-driven approach ensures a strong participant base, leading to more reliable and comprehensive results—and allowing researchers to focus on areas where more recruitment and enrollment are needed.

Modernizing cancer observational studies means embracing technology designed to streamline study operations and enhance effectiveness. These technological advancements save time, reduce errors, and ensure high participant engagement and data quality, leading to more robust and comprehensive study outcomes—advancing cancer prevention efforts.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your observational studies?

• Learn more about modernized cancer observational study management solution.
• Read more about our ongoing collaboration with the American Cancer Society.
• Connect with us to streamline your research and accelerate breakthroughs.