THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Clinical research is the indispensable method for determining the safety and efficacy of new treatments for human diseases and conditions. As crucial as dedicated biologists and chemists, medical professionals, clinical operations experts, data managers, and biostatisticians are to successful research, realization would be impossible without the participation of patients and their caregivers. Yet many potential participants, despite their willingness to engage in research, have faced some inhibiting barriers. For many years now, the industry has made progress in easing patient and caregiver burden through ever-advancing technologies. The advent of practical artificial intelligence (AI) tools is another step forward in making clinical research comfortable and attractive to patients.

At the recent 2026 Global Summit hosted by the International Association of Privacy Professionals in Washington, D.C., one theme surfaced repeatedly across the conference sessions on privacy, AI governance, and cybersecurity law: Data Minimization. While the topic had a dedicated session, it emerged repeatedly as a portion of many other sessions throughout the conference.

At first glance, data minimization seems straightforward: collect only the data necessary for your specific intended purpose. But there are additional aspects that make this a key topic in the industry.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking every industry by storm, including clinical research. In an industry where time is money, and medical advancements are on the line, a means to increase accuracy and efficiency is the hot topic of the moment. Can we use AI to streamline data management review? Can we apply AI technology to more efficiently author study documents? Can AI tools in the database help lessen the burden on sites and patients?

Today, international trials make up the majority (~65% on clinicaltrials.gov) of ongoing clinical trials. For sponsors and patients, the globalization of drug development has shortened the time to commercialization in key markets and expanded the availability of important new treatments. But globalization comes with a number of challenges, not the least of which is mastering logistics across countries, regions, and time zones. PROMETRIKA has formed strategic partnerships with like-minded and similarly sized local CROs in over 80 countries on 5 continents. These relationships optimize the management of key logistic concerns such as time zone differences, supply chain consistency, language barriers, and ethical and cultural considerations.

SCOPE 2026 in Orlando this year felt like a pivotal moment for our industry. It wasn’t just about the latest technical innovations, it was about how we ground these innovations in the human experience.

My conference experience began at dawn with Sunrise Yoga: In Gratitude for Clinical Research Participants, organized by CISCRP. PROMETRIKA, was proud to sponsor an event that centers on the very people who make our work possible. Practicing yoga as the sun rose over Orlando was a “grounded” way to start the week– it reminded me that behind every data point is a human life. The calm did not last long, though, as the conference was packed, the exhibit hall vendors were hungry, and the energy was high.