At ARVO 2025, one point cut through the noise: sponsors can't innovate at the expense of data integrity. As trials move toward more decentralized, patient-centric models, the pressure to protect precision in ocular endpoints has never been higher. For 20/20 Onsite, the conference was an opportunity to demonstrate how point-of-need ophthalmic solutions remove access barriers without compromising quality.
The conference's theme, "i3: Imaging, Innovation, and Intelligence in Vision Science," drove conversations across sponsor, CRO, and site leadership around three questions: how point-of-need models can expand access and improve retention, whether AI can optimize rather than replace human judgment, and how to scale trial operations without risking endpoint quality.
As Sonali Bloom, CEO of 20/20 Onsite, put it: "The leaders we met at ARVO are investing in smart, risk-mitigating strategies that prioritize quality. The ophthalmology community is focusing on protecting primary and secondary endpoints as they work to accelerate new therapies to market."
Decentralized trial (DCT) solutions aren't experimental anymore. They're expected. 20/20 Onsite's Mobile Vision Clinics (MVCs) remove geographic and logistical barriers by bringing clinical-quality eye exams directly to participants' homes, workplaces, or local hubs, and it isn't convenience for its own sake. It's a proven way to drive diversity, boost retention, and keep participants engaged from start to finish.
From real-time AI imaging to regenerative therapies, ARVO buzzed with momentum around innovations already deployed in live trials, not years away. Katie Sigg, 20/20 Onsite's Account Executive for Life Sciences, highlighted how tools like advanced imaging and AI are driving operational efficiency and better participant experiences, technologies that are no longer just optimizing trials but redefining the future of ophthalmic care itself.
Every sponsor talks about being patient-first. 20/20 Onsite builds its model around it. As Lindsay Hedley, Project Manager at 20/20 Onsite, shared: "In many ways we act as an extension of the CRO [or site]. Research sites are happy with the way that we deliver care to their patients and quickly and securely provide the necessary exam results to their Principle Investigators. Beyond that, our patient communication, the delivery method and the tailored planning that goes into each visit is proof that we put patient centricity into action. We always start by making the patient a priority."
Staffing shortages and site variability are the new normal, and trial success now hinges on flexibility without sacrificing speed or quality. Queenly Berko, Business Development Representative for Life Sciences at 20/20 Onsite, noted during ARVO: "It's clear that operational flexibility is now essential for clinical trial success. With the ongoing shortage of ophthalmologists, research staff, and other resources, the industry is shifting toward more flexible trial infrastructures. The future of clinical trials lies with those who can deliver high quality results while supporting sites efficiently."
Decentralized models aren't just about convenience. They solve real operational challenges that cost time, money, and participants:
Every mile matters. Reducing the travel footprint removes a key barrier to participation, especially for underserved populations and working adults, which expands reach, improves diversity, and boosts long-term retention. When trials are easier to join and stay in, timelines shrink, data quality improves, and protocol compliance strengthens.
Imaging quality isn't something to fix in post, and when vision endpoints are primary or secondary measures, every pixel counts. Endpoint protection is built into the model from calibrated equipment to trained technicians, delivering the same clinical-grade data expected from a brick-and-mortar site, just at the point of need.
What that looks like in practice: 98%+ data-submission accuracy across thousands of exams, and high-resolution image capture at workplaces, homes, and community centers. Regardless of where the participant is, endpoints stay protected with the rigor needed to pass regulatory scrutiny and power downstream analysis.
Too many studies lose time and participants during handoffs between vendors, sites, and sponsors, and each added layer adds risk and delay. 20/20 Onsite simplifies that stack with an end-to-end clinical trial solution that integrates into a sponsor's workflow from day one, handling scheduling, equipment setup, participant communications, data capture, and delivery so sites stay focused on science, not logistics.
That model currently supports 34+ active studies across 48 U.S. states, with national and regional deployments requiring no added site headcount, and site-ready operations that help sponsors meet or beat first-patient-in dates. The goal isn't simply slotting into a protocol. It's helping optimize it, from feasibility through final visit, reducing complexity and accelerating timelines while keeping the participant and the data at the center of every visit.
Every improvement in trial design, access, or execution adds up to better outcomes, not just for the study, but for the patients it's designed to serve: broader access produces more diverse, more generalizable safety and efficacy data, standardized imaging ensures valid comparisons and protects endpoints, integrated operations reduce startup drag and overhead, and patient-first communication sustains engagement and improves retention. This is more than a service offering. It's a model where speed doesn't undercut quality, and scale doesn't dilute precision.
ARVO 2025 wasn't just a snapshot of what's coming. It confirmed what's already underway. Decentralized and hybrid trials are no longer future-state concepts, they're the default direction for sponsors who want to reach broader populations, move faster, and ensure their data can withstand regulatory scrutiny. Making that vision real takes more than a change in location. It takes executional excellence, smart technology, and a partner who understands both how to scale and when not to cut corners.
The real question isn't whether to decentralize. It's who can help you do it right.
If you're rethinking your trial design or planning your next ophthalmic study, let's talk. 20/20 Onsite brings clinical precision to the point of need, supporting your team, safeguarding your endpoints, and keeping your trial running smoothly from day one.
What percentage of clinical trials fail to meet enrollment goals? 80% of clinical trials in the U.S. fail to meet their enrollment goals, according to Tufts CSDD (2024), and roughly 30% of enrolled participants drop out before study completion.
How much does 20/20 Onsite reduce travel burden for clinical trial participants? The average clinical trial participant travels 67 miles to reach a trial site. With 20/20 Onsite's point-of-need model, that drops to about 12 miles, which directly supports retention and access for underserved populations and working adults.
How accurate is data collected through 20/20 Onsite's Mobile Vision Clinics? 20/20 Onsite maintains 98%+ data-submission accuracy across thousands of exams, using calibrated equipment and trained technicians to deliver the same clinical-grade data expected from a brick-and-mortar site at the point of need.
How many active clinical trials does 20/20 Onsite currently support? 20/20 Onsite supports 34+ active studies across 48 U.S. states, including national and regional deployments that require no added site headcount from sponsors or CROs.
What role does AI play in ophthalmic clinical trials today? AI tools are already deployed in live trials to support advanced imaging and operational efficiency, optimizing rather than replacing human judgment in areas like image quality review and workflow management.
How does 20/20 Onsite reduce complexity for sponsors and CROs? 20/20 Onsite integrates scheduling, equipment setup, participant communications, and data capture into a single end-to-end model, reducing the handoffs between vendors, sites, and sponsors that typically add risk and delay to a study.
Why is endpoint integrity a challenge in decentralized ophthalmic trials? Because ocular endpoints depend on calibrated equipment and trained technicians to produce clinical-grade imaging, which most remote or fully virtual models can't guarantee. Point-of-need execution protects that same rigor while removing the requirement that participants travel to a fixed site.