Building a Single Source of Truth: Why Small Pharma Needs a CDR
To successfully steer a clinical study to conclusion, all the members of the team need to be rowing in the same direction. This is hard to accomplish when different team members are looking at different data from different data sources. To overcome this problem, the entire team needs access to all of the same data: a single source of truth.
What is a Single Source of Truth?
A single source of truth is a centralized repository where critical data from multiple sources is combined and stored in one location that is accessible to all stakeholders. By combining all the data, teams and team members from different departments (finance, sales, marketing, operations, etc.) can view the same current information and collaborate on decision-making. A single source of truth automates the compilation of the data, lowering the risk of human error and freeing up resources to work on more critical tasks. Additionally, it ensures the data is updated, maintains regulatory compliance, and keeps the project moving forward efficiently.
What is a CDR?
A clinical data repository (CDR) is a single source of truth specifically designed for clinical data. Essentially, it is a collection of study participant health data, gathered using multiple sources, and consolidated to provide a complete picture of the patient. It can include a wide variety of data, such as lab results, demographics, MRIs, and radiology images. As such, the information in the CDR can be used by the study team to make decisions that are best for both the study and the patients.
Why does Small Pharma need a CDR?
For small and emerging pharma companies, where resources are limited and regulatory expectations are high, a CDR can improve efficiencies and study success by:
Eliminating the inconsistencies that arise from managing multiple data sources.
Saving time spent searching for the correct data.
Standardizing the data to meet regulatory requirements and avoid delays.
Reducing the time to manually check data, and freeing resources for more important tasks.
Improving collaboration to make data-informed decisions.
Data is a pharmaceutical company’s most valuable asset, so it is essential to keep it clean, centralized, and easy to use. For small and emerging pharmaceutical companies, a CDR can level the playing field, giving them the ability to access and utilize their data like their larger competitors, and allowing them to unlock their full potential.