The Evolution of Technology Enablement in Long-term Follow-up Studies White Paper

The Evolution of Technology Enablement in Long-term Follow-up Studies

Medical advancements are enabling individuals with chronic illnesses to live longer, necessitating the evaluation of care patterns and patient outcomes over extended periods to address latent adverse effects and quality of life changes. Long-term follow-up (LTFU) studies are essential for assessing the long-term effectiveness and safety of treatments. Despite common challenges like data accrual, clinician burden and participant retention, technological advancements in data collection offer promising solutions to alleviate the most pressing pain points for LTFU research. 

This article explores how automated data capture and real-world data (RWD) technologies can optimize LTFU study design and improve real-world evidence (RWE) generation, addressing key challenges and enhancing study continuity. 

Key topics explored in this article: 

• Overview of long-term follow-up studies 
• Optimization of LTFU study design through RWD technology 
• Challenges in transitioning from manual to automated data collection 
• Incorporating digital and technology-based solutions into LTFU studies