New study from Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development characterizes how investigative sites are investing in and using digital tools

Study highlights to be shared at the CNS Annual Summit on November 4

A new study conducted by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (Tufts CSDD) and supported by Evinova, a global clinical trial technology company with proven published outcomes for sponsors, sites and patients, reveals that investigative sites are increasingly adopting and self-investing in digital tools to support the conduct of clinical research.

A study of investigative sites, conducted online in August 2025, revealed that nearly 40% of sites have made investments in digital data capture tools and remote visit technologies, reflecting a strong belief in the value and impact of these tools in improving clinical trial conduct and participant engagement. Preliminary findings of the study will be shared at the CNS Annual Summit during the session -- Tech Meets Reality: What Sites Really Need for Tech to Work on Tuesday, November 4 at 2PM ET.

“Our research shows that sites are highly receptive to digital innovation and recognize its long-term value,” said Ken Getz, Executive Director of Tufts CSDD and lead researcher on the study. “While sponsor-provided technologies remain the most common digital tools deployed, a relatively high percentage of sites have self-funded their own digital tools – a signal of growing confidence in the utility and importance of these solutions. Although site investment in digital tools accelerated out of necessity post-pandemic, a relatively high proportion of sites had made investments in digital tools pre-pandemic given the perceived positive impact on participant convenience and access.”

The study, which included a broad range of global clinical research sites, also found:

• Sites overwhelmingly favor digital tools over paper-based data collection, with 93% of respondents reporting experience using sponsor-provided or patient-provided digital tools compared with only 7% preferring paper-based approaches.
• Sponsor-provisioned devices remain the most common, with 91% of sites reporting experience using sponsor-provided devices, while 52% report experience with patient-provided (“BYOD”) devices, showing the latter has gained traction.
• Sites have positive perceptions of participant receptivity to remote digital data collection and patient monitoring tools, with 82% of sites indicating that participants are either very receptive (22%) or somewhat receptive (60%) to using these technologies.
• Most sites report that digital tools have not significantly changed their overall financial health, with 65% indicating no financial impact from their use. Despite this, sites continue to prioritize these investments for their operational and patient engagement value rather than for financial return.

“At Evinova we are deeply committed to objectively understanding the needs and experiences of our clinical research partners,” said Jill Bell, Chief Science Officer, Evinova and contributor to the Tufts research study. “Collaborating with the respected team at Tufts CSDD has been invaluable in helping us deepen our understanding of how sites are evolving their use of digital tools. These findings will guide us as we continue to align with their needs and make clinical research more efficient, connected and human centered.”

Plans are underway to publish the full results of the study, providing further detail on site perceptions, investment trends and the evolving value proposition of digital tools in clinical development.

About the Study

This study, conducted by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development in August 2025, assessed investigative site experiences and perceptions regarding the use of digital tools in clinical research. The study included responses from 386 investigative sites worldwide, representing a mix of community/independent for-profit sites (50%) and academic/teaching hospital research centers (49%), with a small fraction from other site types. The respondent pool was geographically diverse, with sites located in North America (60%), Europe (22%), Asia (8%), and others. Therapeutic areas covered included cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, respiratory, immunology, oncology, rare diseases, vaccines and others.

About the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development

The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (Tufts CSDD) is an independent, academic, non-profit research group at Tufts University that provides strategic information to help drug developers, regulators, and policymakers improve the efficiency and effectiveness of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical innovation.

About Evinova

Evinova is a global health-tech business, accelerating the delivery of better health outcomes by propelling the life sciences sector forward in digital health. Through our application of science-based expertise, evidence-led rigor, and human experience-driven insight, our digital solutions were built for pharma by pharma and are deliberately designed so that everyone can reach better health outcomes together. Evinova is a separate health-tech business within the AstraZeneca Group. Please visit evinova.com or follow the company on social media @Evinova.

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“Our research shows that sites are highly receptive to digital innovation and recognize its long-term value,” said Ken Getz, Executive Director of Tufts CSDD and lead researcher on the study.