Automating Site Payments in Siebel Clinical

This video provides an in-depth exploration of automating site payments within the clinical trial ecosystem, specifically leveraging the Siebel Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS). The presentation is aimed at Study Managers at sponsor organizations or Contract Research Organizations (CROs) who are grappling with the inefficiencies and negative consequences of manual payment processes. The core problem identified is the significant lag time between a patient visit and the investigator receiving payment, which is attributed to the manual entry of patient data into the CTMS, the manual generation of payment requests, and the subsequent follow-up with the finance department.

The speaker establishes a clear link between these slow, manual processes and critical operational failures. These failures include investigator dissatisfaction, decreased enthusiasm for the study, slowing recruitment rates, trials dragging on longer than planned, failure to meet targeted milestones and metrics, and ultimately, an increase in study budgets. The proposed solution centers entirely on system integration and automation, positioning the vendor, BioPharm, as the expert capable of bridging the data gaps between disparate clinical and financial systems.

The proposed automated workflow involves a three-stage integration strategy. First, the Electronic Data Capture (EDC) system (such as RDC, Inform, or Rave) is integrated directly with Siebel CTMS. This integration automatically populates essential patient information, such as completion dates for each visit and procedure, which is described as a "huge time savings" in itself. Second, after internal due diligence is completed within the CTMS, a payment request is automatically generated in Siebel Clinical and sent directly to the Finance group's system via a second integration. Finally, once the Finance department processes the payment request in their system, the payment details (e.g., confirmation, amount, date) are automatically sent back to the CTMS, completing the loop and providing real-time status updates. This automated, end-to-end process is touted as being "simple as that, and oh so FAST," leading to rapid payment processing.

The resulting benefits of this automation are transformative for clinical operations. Investigators receive payments more quickly, leading to renewed enthusiasm and soaring recruitment rates. Trials run on time, expected metrics are met, and the need to request budget increases is eliminated. The video concludes by highlighting the shift in communication: instead of receiving calls from investigators complaining about late payments, Study Managers only receive requests to work on more trials, underscoring the positive impact on site relationships and operational efficiency. The underlying methodology is a robust data engineering approach focused on building reliable, bidirectional integrations between specialized enterprise systems (EDC, CTMS, Finance).

Key Takeaways: • Manual Payment Processes Cripple Trials: The reliance on manual data entry and follow-up between EDC, CTMS (Siebel Clinical), and Finance systems results in significant payment delays, directly impacting investigator morale and slowing down patient recruitment rates. • Operational Failures Tied to Payment Delays: Slow payments are directly correlated with missed study milestones, failure to meet metrics, prolonged trial timelines, and increased budget requirements due to extended operational periods. • Integration is the Solution for Speed: Automating site payments requires robust, bidirectional data integration between the EDC system, the CTMS, and the organization's core Finance system to eliminate manual handoffs and data entry errors. • EDC-CTMS Integration is Foundational: The initial critical step is integrating the EDC platform (e.g., RDC, Inform, Rave) with the CTMS (Siebel Clinical) to automatically populate patient visit and procedure completion dates, saving substantial time on data transcription. • CTMS Acts as the Payment Hub: The CTMS is positioned as the central system where due diligence is performed and the automated payment request is generated, ensuring clinical oversight before financial execution. • Automated Finance Handoff: A subsequent integration automatically transmits the payment request from the CTMS to the Finance system, replacing the manual process of generating and tracking check requests. • Real-Time Payment Status Feedback: The final integration loop ensures that once Finance processes the payment, the details are automatically sent back to the CTMS, providing Study Managers and sites with immediate status updates. • Improved Site Relationships Drive Recruitment: Rapid payment processing significantly enhances the relationship with investigators, leading to increased enthusiasm, higher recruitment rates, and a willingness to participate in future trials. • Efficiency Leads to Budget Control: By ensuring trials run on time and meet expected metrics, automation reduces the need for budget increases typically associated with prolonged, slow-moving studies. • Focus on Data Pipelines: The underlying technical requirement is the development of reliable data pipelines capable of handling structured clinical data (visit dates, procedures) and financial data (payment requests, status confirmations) across multiple enterprise platforms.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Siebel Clinical: Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS)
• EDC Systems: RDC, Inform, Rave (Examples of Electronic Data Capture systems)
• Finance System: Generic term for the organization's financial processing software (e.g., ERP or AP system)

Key Concepts:

• CTMS (Clinical Trial Management System): A software system used by sponsors and CROs to manage and track the operational aspects of clinical trials, including site information, regulatory documents, and payments.
• EDC (Electronic Data Capture): A system used to collect and manage patient data during a clinical trial, replacing traditional paper forms.
• Site Payments: The process of compensating investigators and clinical sites for their work in recruiting patients, conducting visits, and performing procedures as outlined in the clinical trial agreement.