“May you live in interesting times” is a phrase that is more often thought of as a curse than a benediction. In today’s rapidly changing clinical research environment, both outcomes seem equally likely for stakeholders in independent research sites who are simultaneously struggling against and rising to meet many disparate challenges to, and opportunities for, the livelihood of their institutions.
The challenges include more complex protocols and increasing operational demands; growing pressure on site budgets, staffing, and cash flow; and consolidation and changing expectations from sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs). Meanwhile, rays of hope are offered by new digital tools and more efficient methods for study delivery. Delving into these complexities in their ACRP 2027 presentation on “Future-Proofing Independent Research Sites in a Changing Industry” in San Diego (April 30 – May 3) will be a trio of leaders from the PCRS Network, LLC, a U.S.-based site network.
“Our session will focus on the realities independent research sites are navigating today and, more importantly, what they can do now to remain sustainable and successful as the industry continues to evolve,” says Kalli Kniss, President/COO of PCRS and a member of the Board of Directors for the ACRP San Diego Chapter. She will be joined on stage by Gary Fiocco, CEO of PCRS, and John Neal, Founder and Chairman of the Board of PCRS and a former Chair of the ACRP Board of Trustees (2019).
As they explore the changing clinical research landscape and what it means for independent sites, the PCRS team members say they are well aware of how crucial maintaining financial sustainability and facing up to growing external expectations for lean operations and rapid delivery of results are to the sites with which they work.
“Building stronger, more balanced partnerships with sponsors and CROs is one strategy for thriving in such times as these,” notes Fiocco. “It’s important for site leaders to realize that they don’t have to go it alone against all the potential roadblocks out there to their ability to prosper and not just survive at a subsistence level when times are tough.”
The presenters will also discuss considerations for using new research-enabling technologies and tips on gaining operational efficiencies through patient-centric approaches that prevent study teams from overlooking the human element of research, adds Neal. “We want our audience to appreciate the opportunities that are out there for diversifying their study portfolios and share practical strategies for reducing dependency on any single source or type of studies or revenue, as well,” he says.
Ultimately, Kniss says, she and her colleagues want attendees to leave with actionable ideas they can take back to their organizations, rather than simply discussing where the industry may be headed. “The question is no longer only what comes next, but how independent sites prepare for it,” she says.
Edited by Gary Cramer