SubjectWell and Reify Health Surveyed Clinical Trial Sites, Examined Patient Concerns and Site Safety Protocols in the Face of COVID-19

Survey found that 51% of patients have concerns about in-office visits and nearly all sites have enacted additional protocols to ensure their continued health and safety

AUSTIN, TX and BOSTON, MA, October 7, 2020 – SubjectWell, the risk-free clinical trials marketplace, and Reify Health, provider of leading cloud-based solutions that empower the clinical trial ecosystem, today announced the results from a recent survey of clinical trial health and safety protocols amidst COVID-19. The joint survey sought to understand how sites are updating protocols to better protect patients in the face of the ongoing pandemic, including both COVID-19- and non-COVID-19-related clinical trials. 

SubjectWell and Reify Health polled 268 clinical trial site partners in the US and found that the vast majority of these sites have implemented multiple measures in response to the continued spread of novel coronavirus. Nearly all sites (96%) reported an increase in sanitation procedures, and almost all have implemented protocols to keep infected patients at home and infected staff out of the office (91% and 93%, respectively). 

An overwhelming majority of sites also reported a variety of other patient health protocols on site to ease patients' hesitations before and upon arrival at the location:

• Nearly 85% of sites offer additional phone screenings prior to in-person visits
• About 83% of sites are adjusting patient scheduling to limit the number of patients in the office at one time
• Almost 90% of sites reported an increase in personal protective equipment for in-office staff 
• In-office temperature screenings are administered by 88% of responding sites

These safety measures implemented by the responding sites are in direct response to patient feedback – the survey found 51% of patients were concerned about interactions with other potentially-infected patients during in-office visits.  

Both SubjectWell and Reify Health are currently offering their pharmaceutical company and research site partners a unique set of capabilities to accelerate clinical trial enrollment and bolster research efficiency. Both companies can leverage this data to influence and improve the patient experience during enrollment and patient retention during the trial.

“We are in the midst of, arguably, the most challenging impediment to clinical research in recent memory, and conducting ongoing research safely is paramount. Although clinical trial awareness is at an all-time high, we must look at the inevitable increase of patients’ concerns and hesitations as well,” said Ivor Clarke, CEO, SubjectWell. “The data from our joint survey with Reify Health shows it’s critical for sites to go above and beyond to ease these concerns throughout every step of the patient recruitment and clinical trial process. As our company continues to connect thousands of patients with research sites and sponsors to clinical research, we’ll work in tandem with these sites to understand how they operate and which safety practices are being enforced, allowing us to confidently move forward in the fight against COVID-19 and treat our patients like customers, ensuring their needs are met from the moment we connect with them.”

“The last several months have highlighted both the importance of clinical trials, writ large, as well as the need for the industry as a whole to adapt to the shifting dynamics of how research can and should be run,” said Ralph Passarella, CEO, Reify Health. “This survey with SubjectWell as well as our own interactions with site users demonstrate that research sites – perhaps more than any stakeholder – are at the forefront of innovation in clinical trial patient safety and well-being. We’ve been inspired by sites around the world and their ability to adapt their processes in ways that are more patient-centric, efficient, and safe.”

This survey data comes on the heels of major initiatives from both Reify Health and SubjectWell. In August, Reify Health announced a $30 million Series B funding round to further integrate its platform, StudyTeam, which upgrades the systems that healthcare staff at clinical research sites depend on to run trials. SubjectWell recently debuted a COVID-19 patient registry, which has grown to connect more than 2,000 patients with COVID-19 research sites per week, putting focus on communities that are high-risk, high-exposure and ethnically diverse. 

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About SubjectWell

SubjectWell, the risk-free clinical trials marketplace for patient recruitment, is raising awareness of clinical research in the general population and providing patients more choice and easy access to innovative treatment options. Visit SubjectWell.com to find out more.

About Reify Health

Reify Health provides cloud-based software that accelerates the development of new and life-saving therapies. Reify serves the global life science industry, including thousands of clinical research sites, the most innovative biotechs, and the world's largest biopharmaceutical companies. The global healthcare system relies on clinical trials to develop new, life-saving treatments for patients. Reify Health’s StudyTeam software empowers both the research sponsors who drive clinical trials forward and the doctors and research coordinators who care for patient volunteers so that they can devote more focus and time toward the work that results in successful clinical research. To learn more, visit www.reifyhealth.com.