New industry research from Everest Group examines what separates organizations that are making patient centricity happen in their clinical trials from those still working toward it.
Patient centricity has long been a stated ambition in clinical research. But why have so few organizations been able to achieved it consistently across their trials?
This Everest Group whitepaper, supported by Suvoda, draws on a structured survey of 103 sponsors, CROs, and sites to examine what is happening in the industry.
One finding stands out: organizations that have deployed patient-centric technology platforms are experiencing gains that those still on the sidelines have consistently underestimated. The gap between expected and realized value is significant, and it runs across every major trial performance indicator.
The research also reveals an industry at an inflection point. Technology adoption has accelerated, but integration has not kept pace. Closing the gap between aspiration and execution requires more than new tools. It takes connected platforms, aligned governance, and processes designed around the patient from the start.
What you will learn
- Why patient centricity has moved from a stated priority to a measurable performance driver—and what that shift means for how you design and run trials.
- What organizations that have already deployed patient-centric platforms are experiencing, and why the gains exceed what others expect.
- How to move beyond point solutions toward a connected operating model that works for patients, sites, and study teams.
- What a practical playbook for operationalizing patient centricity looks like — across technology, governance, and process.
Findings highlights
- Organizations that have deployed patient-centric platforms report gains in trial speed, data accuracy, patient adherence, cost, and patient satisfaction—and those that haven't consistently underestimate what those gains look like in practice.
- For example, early adopters report 41% higher data accuracy and completeness. Non-adopters expected just 21%.
- 85% of sponsors and 93% of CROs report that the importance of patient-centric trial execution has increased.
- 82% of respondents identify cross-functional alignment as the leading enabler of patient centricity—yet most organizations still operate in silos.
- Sites manage an average of 22 sponsor-mandated systems within a single study, and 83% say that technology burden increasingly influences their decision to participate in trials.