Episode Description
Want clinical research that respects real life? We sit down with Caroline Potts, GM of Site and Patient Services at MRN, to rethink how patients are recruited and supported when the standard trial model collides with work, school, caregiving, and distance. We start at the site level, exploring why trial sites remain the beating heart of studies, then unpack how participants actually arrive: investigator databases, advocacy networks, disease-specific portals, and focused social campaigns that reach people where they already are.
From there, we tackle the hidden friction in protocols. Do you really need a physical exam at every visit, or can a trained nurse complete most procedures at home, at work, or even at a holiday address? Caroline gets specific about what’s possible outside the clinic—centrifuges, compliant drug delivery, courier timing—and where the red lines remain, like imaging. The conversation separates hype from substance on decentralised trials, arguing that the true shift is operational flexibility, not just apps. We also assess AI’s promise in finding eligible patients while calling for rigorous validation and thoughtful use alongside human support.
The heart of the episode is practical patient centricity. We discuss rare diseases and long travel times, evening and weekend scheduling, reimbursement barriers, and how small design choices can either invite people in or push them away. Participants commit years of their lives to studies; the least we can do is meet them halfway. Caroline closes with a bold wish: compress timelines across the entire development arc. Precision medicine has moved forward; trial operations must catch up.
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Hosts
Alexander Booth aka the MedTech Guy
Dimitri Borisevich aka the start-up Guy
Ivanna Rosendal aka the R&D pharma Gal