By: Priyanka Sharma, Senior Vice President, Software Engineering, Suvoda
Snapshot:
- Patient-centered technology: Clinical trial software should aim to reduce burden and bring clarity to patients and site personnel, with real-world usability at their core.
- Accelerated innovation with AI: From Sofia, our AI assistant in IRT, to automated protocol interpretation, we’re using AI and natural language processing to simplify complex workflows.
- Fortified security and resilience: With 24/7 reliability, robust disaster recovery, and rigorous security testing, eClinical technology must withstand cyber threats and disruption
The clinical trial landscape is rapidly evolving, and technology is playing a pivotal role in shaping how studies are designed, executed, and experienced by patients. As the head of Suvoda’s software engineering teams, I see three trends shaping the future of development in our field: a heightened focus on patient-centered technology, the acceleration of development timelines through AI and natural language processing (NLP), and advanced cybersecurity and disaster recovery. Suvoda is actively investing in each of these areas so that our solutions not only meet current demands but anticipate future needs.
Trend 1: Heightened focus on patient-centered technology
I believe that innovation begins with empathy. Whether they are enrolling in a trial, interacting with a clinical site, or managing their treatment schedule, clinical trial patients are often navigating some of the most difficult periods of their lives. Suvoda’s software team prioritizes innovations that can reduce users’ burden and deliver clarity in these intense moments.
We bring that same mindset to our product design. That’s why we conduct rigorous usability testing—both internally and externally—to check that our tools are intuitive, accessible, and require minimal training. We draw inspiration from the commercial tech world, maintaining consumer-grade UX standards so that our applications are immediately usable, with limited clicks and scrolls. Patients and site staff shouldn’t have to struggle with technology to access and deliver care.
For example, a usability study on our electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA) product highlighted how our thoughtful design enables a better experience, even for users who are not tech-savvy. The study included a focus group of oncology patients, ages 18-75, using smartphone and tablet devices. The patients found Suvoda eCOA easy to navigate, intuitive, clear, and well-designed, and it resulted in the certification of Suvoda eCOA as highly usable and effective for the patient population.
Trend 2: Accelerated innovation through AI and NLP
As the clinical trial industry looks to shorten timelines and improve efficiency, AI and NLP are playing a growing role. At Suvoda, we’re using these technologies to streamline key aspects of our platform and reduce the time from protocol to implementation.
One exciting initiative is our work on Sofia, an AI-powered assistant that customers can enable in Suvoda Interactive Response Technology (IRT). Sofia reduces what were once multi-screen, multi-click processes to simple conversations. Instead of navigating complex documentation or interfaces, drug supply managers can simply ask a question and receive clear, accurate, and reliable responses that can include graphs and tables.
We’re also exploring how AI can help translate complex trial protocols into IRT configurations with fewer manual steps. This will not only reduce time and effort but also improve accuracy and consistency in system setup—critical in a highly regulated environment.
Trend 3: The need for fortified security and resilience
In today’s world, cyber threats and natural disasters are unfortunately no longer rare events. The consequences of such disruptions in clinical trials can be profound, potentially affecting data integrity, regulatory compliance, and—most importantly—patient safety.
Suvoda’s software is developed with security as a core pillar. We conduct rigorous security testing throughout our development lifecycle, ensuring our systems are resilient against cyberattacks and vulnerabilities. Our commitment doesn’t stop at prevention. We’ve also built robust disaster recovery and business continuity processes, designed to keep trials running without interruption, even in the face of unexpected events.
Our uptime consistently exceeds 99.9%, and our integrations are engineered to be secure—because in clinical trials, reliability is not optional. Trials run around the clock across global time zones, so our systems must be available 24/7. We continuously monitor and optimize performance to meet this demand, for seamless access and uptime across all applications.
Accuracy is paramount—there’s no room for error when a bug could impact patient care or trial outcomes. We employ advanced automation testing methodologies that ensure our solutions perform exactly as designed, every time.
Balancing Speed, Quality, and Cost
It’s often said in software development that you can only expect two out of three: cost, quality, and speed. At Suvoda, we've found a way to balance all three—delivering high-quality, secure, and user-friendly software within tight timelines and defined budgets. It’s not easy, but it’s made possible by our deep domain expertise, rigorous development practices, and unwavering focus on what matters most: the patient.
As the industry evolves, we will continue to lead by example—building tools that reduce complexity, improve outcomes, and bring calm to patients during the most critical moments in the clinical trial journey.
Author
Priyanka Sharma
Senior Vice President, Software Engineering,
Suvoda
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