Virtrial: Telehealth Platform Tailored for Clinical Trials

"Technological advancements in the field of pharmaceutical processes are mostly aimed at improving the overall productivity. Our ultimate objective is along the same lines—to make clinical trials more efficient and expedite the introduction of effective medications in the market,” remarks Mark S. Hanley, CEO of Virtrial. During his tenure as the board member of a telehealth solutions provider, Hanley realized that their platform could be used for clinical trials with some technical modifications. Backed by a vast experience in clinical trials and research sites, he started working on adding capabilities to the telehealth platform, which eventually led him to found Virtrial in 2018. Virtrial’s newly-designed platform offers telehealth visits with the help of an app that supports audio and video calls in addition to text messages and emails, thus enabling pharmaceutical companies and clinical research organizations (CRO) to create patient-centric trials.

“Clients can use the text message feature to send reminders to patients about both the medications and upcoming visits,” adds Kim Kundert, VP of clinical operations at Virtrial. The platform also allows CROs to send email links comprising the educational material about the disease under study, and in turn, helps patients get a better understanding of their medical condition. Furthermore, the Virtrial app provides pharmaceutical companies and CROs with analytical reports that enable them to make preemptive decisions with regard to patient activity. As a result, CROs and pharmaceutical companies are not merely communicating with clinical research coordinators (CRC) and principal investigators (PI), but are also receiving real-time data on patient compliance and protocol adherence.

A worldwide reach enhances the quality and effectiveness of the virtual visits that Virtrial provides through video calls capable of accommodating up to four people at a time.