Telemedicine in Clinical Trials Highlighted At Upcoming Conferences

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of the most significant challenges in managing a successful clinical trial are recruiting the right test subjects and retaining them for the length of a trial. Time requirements, distance from the study site, number of site visits expected, and transportation concerns make it difficult to recruit patients for trials and contribute to high dropout rates, causing long delays and increasing the risk of trial failure.

At the Mobile and Clinical Trials Conference on September 10 and the  4th annual Dpharm: Disruptive Innovations in Clinical Trials Conference September 11-12, panelists will describe how telemedicine technology from AMC Health, a pioneer in providing telemedicine solutions for clinical trials, is being used to overcome these limitations. The back-to-back conferences are being held at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston.

The panelists will report on new studies in which patients will participate primarily from their own homes, using telemedicine to conduct video visits and collect biometric data remotely. This will enable patients who live far from a traditional clinical trial site to participate in a wide variety of trials for diseases such as prostate cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, by substituting video visits for most study-site visits. This significantly expands the geographic recruitment area by reducing travel and time burden on patients.

This includes presentations on September 12th at 2:20 p.m. that will highlight the following telemedicine applications in clinical trials during the 4th annual Dpharm: Disruptive Innovations in Clinical Trials Conference:

• Matthew Galsky, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Director, Genitourinary Medical Oncology, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, will describe a pilot study he is conducting with prostate cancer survivors who have a rising Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA). In this study, patients will receive metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes that may also slow the progress of recurrent prostate cancer. Medication monitors will indicate whether patients are taking the medication as prescribed, and all but the first visit will be conducted by video. Laboratory tests will be performed by certified laboratories located in the patients' communities.
• Ray Dorsey, M.D., M.B.A., Professor of Neurology and Director of the Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics and Center for Health and Technology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, will discuss his use of telemedicine to care for patients worldwide who have Parkinson's disease. He is currently conducting a national randomized controlled trial that will evaluate telemedicine for Parkinson's disease.
• Marc Foster, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Transparency Life Sciences, a New York-based drug development company, will describe a study backed by the National Institutes of Health to evaluate the use of lisinopril as adjunctive therapy in multiple sclerosis. Foster will discuss opportunities and challenges of using telemedicine in place of site visits.
• John Holland, Senior Vice President for Research in the Clinical Trials Division of AMC Health, will provide insight into telemonitoring technologies available for clinical trials, and will demonstrate a remote video visit. New York-based AMC Health's telemedicine technologies are being used in trials described by the other panelists. Holland will highlight several telemonitors, including a digital scale, thermometer, blood pressure monitor, blood glucose monitor and pulse oximeter, along with medication monitors to help patients take medication for the study as directed. Several large pharmaceutical companies are evaluating AMC Health's technologies as a way to accelerate and improve recruitment and trial completion, reduce dropouts, and enhance collection of real-world biometric data and patient-reported outcomes.

Holland will also participate on a panel, "Understanding and Addressing the Technical, Legal & Operational Hurdles," during the Mobile and Clinical Trials conference on September 10th at 11:50 a.m.

"The economic pressure to bring new drugs to market faster and at a lower invested cost is enormous," Holland said. "Yet many pharmaceutical companies are finding it increasingly difficult to complete clinical trials on a timely basis. Recent changes in FDA guidance are making telemedicine an attractive, cost-effective alternative. This panel will show how telemedicine is being applied in current clinical trials and the potential it holds for future innovations."

Watch the following video to see how eVisits can be used in clinical trials:http://www.amchealth.com/clinical-trials/

Tweet This: Panelists discuss telecare in clinical trials at upcoming conferences. http://bit.ly/YrUsSE #telecare #DisruptiveInnovations @AMCHealth

To schedule an interview with John Holland or the other presenters, contact Jan Shulman (O: 480.664.8412, ext. 12; M: 602.206.4284; jshulman or Tawn Gale (480.664.8412, [email protected])

About AMC Health

Headquartered in New York City, AMC Health is a leading provider of telehealth solutions that provide customized, scalable, cost-effective programs that assist organizations serving at-risk populations and those conducting clinical trials. A proven combination of technology and end-to-end support services enables safe, dependable monitoring at home. AMC Health's remote patient monitoring programs deliver clinically actionable information that enhances care coordination, improves patient outcomes, improves the quality and reduces the cost of clinical trials, and reduces the overall cost of healthcare.  For more information, visit www.amchealth.com.