In recent years, along side the increase in patient involvement in the design and conduct of research programs, there has been a notable increase in the idea of “virtual” or “decentralized” clinical trials. In the virtual trial model, clinical studies are focused on bringing the clinical study directly to the participant and allowing data collection to be completed in a participant’s home or local community. This paper examines the nature of virtual clinical trials, potential benefits and risks of this new paradigm, and best practices for maintaining regulatory and Institutional Review Board (IRB) compliance.
