Avoid the Front-loaded Training Paradigm

During the go-live period in a clinical trial, study teams and CRAs are under immense pressure to manage multiple critical activities to keep the trial on schedule. One result of this frantic period with competing priorities is that study site training is often viewed as a lower priority item.

For almost all clinical trials, site training is fronted-loaded in a very large quantity of information. This typically takes the form of an Investigator Meeting (IM), featuring 8 to 12 speakers, each with a set of 20-30 slides, together presenting for 5 or more hours in consecutive sessions. While it’s understandable why this occurs, this approach is dysfunctional because we can’t expect learners to retain such a massive volume of information in one sitting. Without doubt, the best practice is to spread the training into several separate sessions or channels of delivery. 

Best practices to address front-loaded training include splitting the training into two channels: live group presentations and self-learning modules on a 24-7 portal. We recommend delivering the most critical, study-specific topics by live presentations, and using training modules to deliver standard training material such as GCP, use of e-clinical systems, and other routine topics.

Another best practice is to hold the live training sessions over 2 or 3 shorter sessions on consecutive days or weeks, instead of the usual back-to-back sessions in a single investigator meeting. Spreading out training over multiple sessions reduces learner fatigue and is proven to increase retention of material. The shorter sessions can be held during the late afternoon and early evening, which is a better fit with the practice patterns of most investigators. Obviously, this approach is better delivered using virtual meetings than multiple travel-to meetings.

Utilizing a combination of Elevation Virtual Investigator Meetings and TriPort Investigator Portal to deliver your study site training can optimize your training effectiveness while increasing productivity and lowering costs. 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.