According to governmental data, there are over 400,000 clinical trials taking place in the US currently. A vast majority of these trials are now moving to electronic data capture (EDC) software that allows practitioners and researchers to improve their data management, accelerate the process, and leverage modern clinical research approaches.
However, despite the vast popularity of EDC software and electronic data management, clinical trial organizers continue to struggle with abandonment. This is when a patient or participant in a clinical trial opts out of completing the form midway, thus leaving the researcher with incomplete, ambiguous, and improper data.
If you wish to avoid abandonment in your clinical research, learn how you can improve your ePRO form design to improve data collection.
What is ePRO Form?
ePRO(electronic patient records output) forms are the forms that patients or participants fill in during clinical research. These forms are a modern version of the instrument, also called questionnaire, which researchers use to collect information and initiate their study.
ThreeBest Practices for ePRO Form Design
If you seek to improve your ePRO form design to maximize data efficiency and reduce the burden on the participants, then here are some of the best practices to follow.
Keep Your Wording Simple
As a clinical trial organizer, you are familiar with the industry jargon and technical terms. However, expecting the same from participants is a grave mistake that you must avoid. Make sure that your ePRO forms have simpler words to help participants better understand the questions.
Try to Minimize the Number of Questions
Opt for branching and skipping logic to avoid asking too many questions and exhausting the participants. Limit your questions in the ePRO form design and start with the simplest to the most complex questions as the questionnaire proceeds.
Don’t Clutter the Form Pages
EDC systems can become more organized if researchers opt for a user-friendly ePRO form design. You don’t want to clutter the pages or use color schemes that distract your participants. Keep the ePRO form design simple and intuitive for the participants.
For Improved Clinical Data Management, Try Clinical Pursuit!
Electronic data capture for clinical trials can become much more efficient and optimized if you follow the above-mentioned ePRO form design practices. In addition, you can also reach out to us for a free demo of Clinical Pursuit, an advanced EDC software that allows researchers to conduct decentralized clinical trials.