This February, three members of our Life Sciences team attended the 14th annual SCOPE Summit for Clinical Ops Executives in Orlando, FL. The conference is one of the industry’s premier events, focused on advances in clinical trial innovation, planning, management, and operations — attracting over 2,300 leaders from the clinical space.
Our team had the following 20/20 Onsite attendees share their key takeaways from this year’s conference and their expectations for next year.
VP of Life Sciences Jess Mays
Senior Manager of Clinical Program Operations Adam Merola
Doctor of Optometry Alina Reznik
How would you describe your experience at the conference?
“SCOPE was fascinatingly huge, one of the biggest conferences that I’ve been to lately,” Jess recalls. “There were so many sessions, vendors, and different tracks throughout the exhibit hall. Personally, I didn’t have time to do all the things that I wanted to because there was so much good content available. I was thankful to have my team there so we could divide and conquer.”
“SCOPE was a great experience and it’s always nice to connect with colleagues working in the space,” Adam says. “As a conference for operations executives, the forum is cohesive with my role as Clinic Manager here at 20/20 Onsite.”
“Because I recently started attending clinical trials conferences, I didn’t really know what to expect,” Dr. Reznik shares. “Overall, I was very impressed by the number of people that attended the summit. I enjoyed learning how important decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) are in today’s market. DCT was a term I had never heard in the past, and it was really exciting to see how 20/20 Onsite lives and breathes that concept. By bringing care directly to patients and thinking about patients first, we are fulfilling that need.”
What is the most exciting thing you learned at the conference?
Conferences give us insight into what other professionals are working on in the clinical trial space. These observations are critical to our own progress as a company. Adam explains, “We gained insights into the challenges and successes that our colleagues are currently having and how they’re getting there. Then, we take that knowledge and further apply it to the work we do here.”
One of the most exciting sessions we attended was led by CVS Health and Janssen. According to a recent survey conducted by CVS, the majority of adults (68%) are willing to participate in a clinical trial from their homes. Dr. Reznik said, “It was very encouraging to see that trust from patients, considering our Life Sciences team is directly involved with trying to provide areas/sites local to the patient.”
In another survey, CVS found that 59% of adults prefer to participate in clinical trials at a location not far from their work or home. Dr. Reznik admits, “That was another great statistic to see considering it aligns with what we do as a company and the services that we offer.”
What is something new or innovative that you learned?
Even clinical trials that aren't decentralized are taking lessons from the DCT space. In fact, we're closely watching how sponsors increase the accessibility of clinical trials overall. “I noticed that many of the large pharmaceutical companies are more open to other forms of delivery to support their clinical trial. In addition, they are very interested in diversity and engagement,” Dr. Reznik recounts. “It’s not only about getting the patients to come to the trial but how to keep them engaged throughout the process.”
What's one takeaway, trend, or statistic that surprised you?
Mobile care is expanding rapidly. “The large presence of mobile care companies was unlike anything I’ve seen in the past,” Adam explains. “There’s a growing trend in companies adopting hybrid and mobile models and that was the main topic in a majority of the conference sessions.”
The 20/20 Onsite approach to clinical trials is quickly becoming the standard. Adam continues, “Seeing other companies embrace the patient-centric approach really speaks to the relevance of what we do as a company.”
“I was surprised to learn that Janssen estimated over a thousand mobile clinic locations in the U.S. with about 7 million visits annually, making healthcare accessible to underserved communities,” Dr. Reznik affirms. “This shows the immense potential in DCT, so I am happy 20/20 Onsite is on that list.”
Who did you connect with (or reconnect with) that you look forward to working with in the future?
Our team is always excited to talk with those who want to work with us to increase access to clinical trials. “It's always great to see our CROs and site network partners because those are the groups we tend to work with time and time again,” says Jess. “It was also nice to meet with AGTC and BlockClinical – two teams we’ve been working with for a while.”
Some of the most notable connections were those also working in the mobile care space. Jess continues, “I appreciated the presence of Lightship and Emvenio, two other mobile providers in the space. The presence of mobile companies, ourselves included, has grown immensely and it speaks to the work that we’re doing. When 20/20 Onsite joined the clinical trial space three years ago, there was barely anything mobile. It’s been so meaningful to see more companies joining us in the space and building a larger mobile presence at conferences.”
The summit also presented a great opportunity to connect with companies new to us. We’re always open to new approaches, and conferences are the perfect opportunity to observe innovations and generate fresh ideas.
What are you looking forward to the most for next year's conference?
Next year, our team eagerly plans to exhibit at SCOPE 2024, in addition to bringing our Mobile Vision Clinic on-site.
“The networking and connection-building are so exciting, I can’t wait until next year when I get the chance to check in with some familiar faces,” Dr. Reznik continues. “There was so much discussion about the excitement in the realm of clinical trials and innovation, and that's just what it continues to be – constant excitement and innovation. So I can’t wait to see where we get in a year.”
Dr. Reznik explains how impressed she was with the positive reputation Jess Mays, VP of Life Sciences, has built at conferences like these. “Jessica arrived at SCOPE and it was as if everyone already knew her,” Dr. Reznik says. “She has built so many great connections in our short three-year span in the Life Sciences space. Everyone greeted her with open arms, and was eager to introduce her to their colleagues.”
Adam agrees, stating that “many companies wanted to come out strong in the new year. At next year's conference, it will be interesting to hear about all the progress since then.”
Optimize your clinical trial with 20/20 Onsite.
Did we miss you at this year's SCOPE Summit for Clinical Ops Executives? Let’s connect! If you were in attendance, connect with our attendees on LinkedIn – Jess Mays, Adam Merola, and Alina Reznik. They’d love to hear your top takeaways from the event and learn what innovative strategies your company is prioritizing this year.
We’re also busy preparing for more conferences in the upcoming months, including Eyecelerator in San Diego, CA, and ARVO in New Orleans, LA. Reach out to us now to coordinate conference schedules and set up a meeting with our Life Sciences team.
