Listening and understanding the patient is the first step to success in any clinical trial. As we look to the future and the acceleration of the use of decentralised and hybrid trials, it is important that we know what is important and understand the dynamics at play when the traditional model changes. Did greater use of technology during the pandemic increase the willingness to use electronic patient diaries? Did lockdown increase the demand for more flexibility in the location of patient assessments or do clinical participants prefer to get out and interact with site staff?

We conducted a survey in early 2021 to find out what patients are likely to want. The results were surprising...