Among other things, 2021 will be known as the year of The Great Resignation, or in many sectors, the great retirement. Record numbers of employees left their jobs. Nearly four and a half million Americans left their jobs in September 2021, the highest number on record since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began collecting data 20 years […]
The Future of Work and the Impact on Research Institutions
International organizations such as the World Economic Forum have been researching and analyzing the “future of work” and its implications for economies. Likewise, consulting firms have been predicting the important training needed to prepare workforces for new labor markets. Surveys of company leaders indicate an increasing need for employee upskilling and retraining. The COVID pandemic […]
FDA Updates Guidance for Clinical Trials During COVID-19 Pandemic
In March 2020, as governments around the world were issuing large-scale lockdowns, health facilities shifted their efforts to addressing critical needs of patients while trying to maintain the safety of staff. Clinical trials ended or were paused, and researchers allocated their attention and resources to understanding and managing the novel coronavirus. To assist researchers, IRBs, […]
Proposed Cures 2.0 Act May Have Implications for Researchers
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced updates to the 21st Century Cures Act, which was signed into law in December 2016. The proposed legislation coincides with a detailed concept paper the White House published Tuesday in Science Magazine outlining their vision for the new research agency. The 21st Century Cures Act, known as “Cures”, was […]
Restarting Research Projects and Programs
The COVID-19 pandemic had significant impacts on clinical trials and research programs. According to researchers at Penn State, over 80 percent of clinical trials were suspended between March 1 and April 26, 2020, mostly due to the pandemic. The impact was more substantial for government or academic-funded studies than for sponsored trials, according to their […]
Guide to Remote Audits
The United States reached the one-year anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19, on January 15. Even now, as the rollout of vaccinations is underway, institutions are still facing campus and facility closures. We cannot underestimate the impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials and the research community. Institutions have had to refocus resources toward […]
Is Your Institution Prepared to Identify Exempt Research?
The disruption of clinical research as a result of COVID-19 cannot be overstated. Virtually everything about developing protocols and starting clinical trials has been upturned. In some cases, trials have been closed indefinitely. Others have been delayed or streamlined. Much of the interaction, such as IRB review meetings, has been shifted online, decentralized or outsourced […]
Trends: What We Are Watching in 2021
We know we are not alone when we say we are happy to put 2020 behind us. It was a challenging year for everyone, and we look forward to better days ahead. Despite the difficulties that the research community faced, we witnessed remarkable flexibility, resilience and creativity in dealing with significant hurdles. Last year lent […]
How COVID-19 Has Impact Clinical Trial Budgeting
As COVID-19 swept across the United States earlier this year, many research centers found themselves pausing or stopping clinical trials and shifting their work from an office or clinic to their homes. Clinical research staff pivoted their focus to support the COVID-19 response, or to launch critical studies focusing on COVID-19. As some research staff […]
Lessons Learned (so far) in COVID-19
Even as communities start the process of evaluating re-opening, many experts believe that a new normal will be with us for a long time. Physical distancing, face masks and ubiquitous alcohol gel will be part of daily life. The risk of recurrence spikes also looms ahead and threatens a return to stricter “stay at home” […]
Chart Review Studies During and After a Pandemic
The current global pandemic combined with electronic medical records and data visualization technologies have resulted in unprecedented advances in real-time tracking of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, across countries, states and local communities. As the situation evolves, there will be ample opportunity and increased need for both retrospective and prospective COVID-19 research studies that […]