Clinical trials can see patient dropout rates as high as 30%, resulting in missed timelines or, in the worst cases, the discontinuation of trials altogether. We sat down with 20/20 Onsite's Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. David Gibson, for our employee spotlight series to talk through how bringing the trial to the patient, rather than the other way around, is changing that outcome.
As Chief Clinical Officer, I am in charge of all our employed routine optometry doctors and involved with anything that happens with the clinic as far as patient care. It's the same thing on the life sciences side as well. All of the contracted doctors that we have will eventually flow to me. I am also responsible for operational logistics such as scheduling, inventory customer service, revenue cycle management, and merchandising in routine optometry.
In life sciences, I lead our compliance team as well as our clinic managers and clinical trial managers. I am also the primary investigator for clinical trials where we are a trial site."
"The world is designed to be provider-centric, not patient-centric. The biggest thing they can do is to make life sciences and clinical trials more inclusive and patient-centric. The goal of a trial is to improve the lives of patients through pharmaceutical or device intervention. However, the process of getting to that goal is not always patient-friendly."
"Yes, there is. There is a subject that we see in New Mexico whose trial site is located in Miami. The subject was really about to be lost to follow-up; this is someone that should really be included in the trial. We were able to come in and see them multiple times. This has spared them multiple trips from New Mexico to Miami."
"We bring a clinical trial to the patient, as opposed to the patient having to come to the clinical trial. We provide a more tailored and customized experience for the patient that caters to their lives and their schedule. This creates happier patients who may not be as apt to withdraw from a trial."
"We are doing a lot of remote pre-screening. I am completely remote now, so it's not dependent on me having to be there. Providing remote oversight allows us to be more nimble, so we can go wherever we need.
We also provide a more tailored and boutique experience for patients. Each patient is a VIP and not just their subject number. We can now go to a patient's house, which we have never been able to do before. At the beginning of the year, we will actually be seeing patients inside their homes. That speaks for itself, it will be awesome."
"We have successfully completed our first ever phase 1 trial allowing patients not to have to leave the clinic for their eye assessments. We have been able to touch and improve lives in all 48 of the contiguous U.S. states with little to no impact on the patients' lives."
"Professionally, I am rewarded that we are able to expand opportunities to allow optometrists to practice to the full scope of their education and training. Many optometrists never get to do more than routine care. It is exciting to offer my colleagues the ability to use all of their skills."
"Honestly, we are the best at what we do and what we do is critical in ensuring the success of a trial."
Read more from our employee spotlight series, including our interview with Albi Santiago, Senior Manager of Fleet Operations, for another look at how 20/20 Onsite's teams support trials from the ground up.
Partnering with 20/20 Onsite can improve the participant experience and, alongside it, trial retention and dropout outcomes. If your upcoming clinical trial requires eye exams, request a protocol consultation with 20/20 Onsite's clinical program services team to get the conversation started.
What is the average dropout rate in clinical trials? Dropout rates in clinical trials can run as high as 30%, which can result in missed timelines or, in the most severe cases, discontinuation of the trial entirely. Reducing participant travel and scheduling burden is one of the most direct ways sponsors can address this.
How does bringing a clinical trial to the patient improve retention? When assessments happen at a location convenient to the participant instead of requiring travel to a fixed site, participants are less likely to be lost to follow-up and less likely to withdraw from the study. 20/20 Onsite's model is built specifically around this approach.
Can ophthalmic clinical trial assessments be performed in a participant's home? Yes. 20/20 Onsite has expanded into home-based visits alongside its Mobile Vision Clinics, allowing certified staff to perform assessments directly in a participant's home when that's the most feasible option for them.
What role does remote pre-screening play in clinical trial execution? Remote pre-screening allows oversight and eligibility review to happen without requiring a physician to be physically on-site for every visit, which makes the execution model more nimble and able to reach participants across a wider geographic area.
How many U.S. states has 20/20 Onsite operated in for clinical trials? 20/20 Onsite has provided clinical trial support across all 48 contiguous U.S. states, including completing a Phase 1 trial in which participants did not have to leave the clinic for their eye assessments.
Who leads clinical operations at 20/20 Onsite? Dr. David Gibson serves as Chief Clinical Officer, overseeing routine optometry doctors, contracted clinical trial physicians, compliance, and clinic and clinical trial managers. He also serves as principal investigator for trials where 20/20 Onsite operates as a trial site.