"It's an easy way to contact the hospital. I don't have to go in every day so say this day I feel this, and this day I feel that. But I can give it and every two weeks we review."

Adult male subject
in an Amsterdam, the Netherlands, allergy trial

Read more on what people are saying about PHT.

The Subject Experience

If you want to know how subjects are doing in a trial, why not ask them? PHT employs the same strategy when trying to determine how subjects feel about using eDiaries in a trial. To accomplish this, we regularly solicit direct feedback from patients around the world who have experience using our ePRO systems. Review PHT Insights (Q1, 2006), which features real subject quotes, as well as the key points below to hear what subjects have told us about their ePRO experiences.

Who are Your Study Subjects?

Patients of all ages enjoy using PHT's ePRO solutions to report on how they are feeling in a clinical trial. Most subjects in a Phase II or Phase III study genuinely want to provide good data. They tell us the LogPad makes them feel…

  • Motivated to complete the diary
  • Connected to the site with frequent LogPad communication
  • Encouraged that someone is listening, every day
  • Pleased to be contributing to the study by sending proper data
  • Compelled to comply with the protocol (by site coordinators with real-time data access) and to provide accurate information

Who Can Use the LogPad?

Certain patient populations, such as the elderly, are not as familiar with PDAs, and may be slightly nervous when they first receive their LogPad. However, after 15-30 minutes of site training and a few diaries completed, subjects of all ages find the LogPad extremely easy to use. PHT takes great care to minimize respondent burden with a friendly designs, reminder alarms, formatted response options and screen sequence controls.

ePRO and the Elderly

Sponsors are often concerned that elderly patients cannot or will not use an eDiary. Numerous studies have demonstrated however that age is not correlated with compliance. In fact, the elderly exhibit just as good - if not better - LogPad compliance than their younger counterparts. One theory for consistently high elderly compliance is they often have more time to devote to the study, and enjoy a close relationship with their site. If necessary, PHT can further facilitate elderly patients (and other patient populations or conditions) by leveraging additional usability enhancement measures such as such as Palm devices with higher resolutions, larger fonts, thicker stylus pens, and PDA screen magnifiers. Download PHT's elderly data sheet for more information on our geriatric trial experience.

The Site Connection

Patients are often concerned about their condition, and value their time with their site - as well as the care they receive. Subjects regularly report a better connection with their site because of the LogPad. Information in paper diaries can go unreviewed for weeks or even months, but daily transmission of LogPad data gives patients a sense of more attention and better care.

Improving Compliance

The LogPad's compact size, mobility, reminder alarms and privacy improve lifestyle convenience and make completing a diary as simple as possible. Subjects are reassured that once they transmit electronically, their data cannot be lost. Further, StudyWorks enables sites to identify and follow up with non-compliant patients who may need assistance. These factors and more lead to high compliance rates you can actually trust.

Pediatric Patients

For studies in children, the LogPad features a unique Caregiver Module, which allows someone other than the patient to answer questions on the subject's behalf. This feature was used successfully by PediaMed in a trial investigating gastrointestinal symptoms in autistic children.

Paper for All the Wrong Reasons

In an insomnia study sponsored by Merck Research Laboratories, subjects were asked to describe their experiences using paper and the LogPad. 90% of patients rated the LogPad as a "Good" to "Excellent" experience, with 100% of patients doing the same for paper. Subject quotes taken from this feedback are revealing - and worrisome for scientific researchers and data managers seeking reliable PRO data using conventional paper methods.

Subject Comments on Using Paper

  • "I only had to play catch-up about 60% of the time."
  • "I sometimes had to go back a few days and look at my old answers to see what I should be filling out."

Subject Comments on Using the LogPad

  • "It kept me honest; it was like Big Brother watching."
  • "I was afraid at first but once I tried the practice questionnaires, it was no problem."

Learn More about the Subject Experience

Is it easy for subjects to set up their LogPad to send data? What patient populations are ideal for ePRO, and which have challenges? Contact PHT for answers to these questions or any others you may have.

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