CRAs are tasked with an ever-increasing number of tasks and responsibilities to ensure that trials are running smoothly. One of the most time-consuming of these tasks is training study site personnel. While CRAs need to play an important role in ensuring sites are properly trained, they are often tasked to do so in costly and ineffective ways.  

Some sponsors have CRAs deliver training by flipping through decks with hundreds of slides, often borrowed from an investigator meeting. Not only is this a subpar way to train, but it’s a questionable use of highly skilled and expensive professionals such as CRAs.  

Note that CRAs are not hired based their training ability, but rather on their acumen and experience over a demanding array of technical matters related to clinical trials. As a result, some CRAs are innately good trainers, while others are not. Also, CRAs are no match for the subject matter experts who typically deliver training presentations at investigator meetings. 

A preferable approach is to provide sites with an online training platform with all relevant modules. The role of CRAs would be to direct site members to complete training modules prior to a site initiation visit or interim visit. 

Once at the site, the CRA should meet with investigators and site staff, and reinforce the most important learning objectives of the training modules. The CRA should also solicit any questions on the training material that site members may have, and confirm that site members understand the training content and are prepared to commence the study. This approach gives the CRAs an important role in training without bogging them down for hours of reviewing slide decks. It also improves overall quality and consistency of training for site members. 

The approach outlined above, combining a strong CRA role with online training modules, is a core best practice. It uses a fraction of the CRA’s valuable time, leverages the authority of subject matter experts, provides site members with more flexibility in when to spend several hours training, and gives the CRAs an important role in quality control and training reinforcement. It is superior to “flipping through slides” in every way. 

Reduce CRA burnout and optimize your study site training with TriPort Investigator Portal. For more information, contact us today.   

 

About MedPoint Digital, Inc. 

MedPoint Digital, Inc. partners with biopharma companies to deploy virtual pharmaceutical meetings and advanced portals that produce unique value. Our goals are to lower costs, improve quality and expedite timelines with digital platforms that transform key areas of clinical operations, commercial objectives, and study site tasks.