Abstract

Clinical trials are routinely performed on human participants to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new treatments such as drugs and medical devices. Recent advances in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have led to the development of Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs). DCTs allow participants to participate in various types of clinical trials without having to visit hospitals. Data collection and frequent interactions between participants and medical staff can be possible via remote monitoring environments. In addition, the costs and time for clinical trials conduction can be significantly reduced. The development of ICT-based DCT technologies has already initiated. However, the adoption of DCTs was facilitated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Interest in and research on DCTs has also grown in Korea. This study describes the present state of DCT technologies development in Korea.

Keywords: Decentralized Clinical Trial (DCT); Information and Communication Technology (ICT); Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Abbreviations:COVID-10-Coronavirus Disease 2019; DCT-Decentralized Clinical Trial; eConsent- Electronic Consent; ICT-Information and Communication Technology; R&D- Research and Development