2024 Veeva R&D and Quality Summit Site Perspective

This video provides an insightful perspective from research site attendees at the 2024 Veeva R&D and Quality Summit. The speakers, Theresa Oswald from Lurie Children's Hospital and Alisha Garibaldi from Skylight Health Research, share their experiences, emphasizing the significant value derived from direct interactions with sponsors, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), and fellow research sites. The overarching theme highlights a perceived shift in the industry towards greater inclusion and responsiveness to the needs and feedback of the sites, which are critical for the execution of clinical research.

A key aspect of the summit experience for the attendees was the opportunity for face-to-face engagement, which is often lacking in other industry events. The speakers noted Veeva's efforts to ensure sites felt comfortable and well-represented, fostering an environment conducive to open dialogue. This direct interaction extended not only to sponsors and CROs but also to other research sites. The collaborative spirit among sites was particularly highlighted, with the understanding that advancing medicine requires collective effort rather than competition. This peer-to-peer exchange allowed sites to share experiences, learn from different approaches, and realize they are not isolated in facing common operational challenges.

The discussion further delved into the critical role of technology in clinical research and the importance of bridging the gap between technology developers/sponsors and end-users (research sites). Attendees gained insights into how various technologies interact with their operations and, crucially, how sponsors are utilizing these tools. A significant takeaway was the empowerment felt by sites in having a "seat at the table" to provide specific feedback on Veeva's technological uses. One speaker recounted a breakfast session where sponsors actively sought feedback, leading to an acknowledgment from a sponsor that the input had genuinely shifted their thinking on how to approach future developments. This direct feedback loop is seen as instrumental in increasing efficiencies for sites, which in turn benefits science and medicine as a whole.

Key Takeaways:

• Value of Direct Engagement: Industry summits like the Veeva R&D and Quality Summit offer invaluable opportunities for research sites to engage face-to-face with sponsors, CROs, and peers, fostering collaboration and direct feedback that is often absent in other forums.
• Collaborative Site Community: Research sites operate within a highly collaborative community, recognizing that collective effort and shared experiences are essential for advancing medicine, rather than individual competition.
• Bridging the Technology Gap: Understanding how technologies interact with site operations and how sponsors utilize them is crucial. There's a shared challenge in technology adoption that can be addressed through open communication between sites, sponsors, and technology providers.
• Empowering Site Feedback: Providing research sites with a "seat at the table" to offer specific feedback on technological uses, particularly concerning platforms like Veeva, is vital for developing practical and effective solutions.
• Impact on Sponsor Strategy: Direct and constructive feedback from sites can significantly influence how sponsors and technology developers think about and implement their strategies, leading to more user-centric and efficient solutions.
• Efficiency Drives Advancement: Increasing operational efficiencies for research sites directly translates into better outcomes for science and medicine, accelerating the pace of discovery and development.
• Industry Shift Towards Inclusivity: There is a perceived positive shift in the industry towards greater inclusion of research sites in the development and refinement of operational processes and technological tools.
• Shared Challenges, Shared Solutions: Sites are not alone in facing operational and technological challenges; sharing experiences with peers and engaging with sponsors can lead to collective problem-solving and improved best practices.
• Veeva's Role in Facilitation: Veeva's efforts to create a comfortable and representative environment for sites at their summit underscore the importance of fostering an ecosystem where all stakeholders can contribute to improving clinical research.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Veeva: The discussion centers around "Veeva" and its "technological uses," specifically within the context of an "R&D and Quality Summit," implying Veeva's suite of R&D and Quality solutions (e.g., Veeva SiteVault, Veeva Clinical One, Veeva QualityOne).

Key Concepts:

• Site Perspective: The unique viewpoint and operational realities of clinical research sites, which are critical for the successful execution of trials.
• Sponsor-Site Collaboration: The essential partnership between pharmaceutical sponsors/CROs and research sites to conduct clinical trials efficiently and effectively.
• Technology Adoption in Clinical Research: The process and challenges of integrating new digital tools and platforms into research operations to enhance efficiency, data management, and compliance.
• Industry Shift: A perceived change in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry towards greater stakeholder engagement, particularly involving end-users like research sites, in the development and implementation of solutions.