Decentralized Clinical Trials at Home: Commentary on Caregivers’ Burden

Decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) provide the opportunity to bring interventional studies closer to participants in their homes or a suitable location closer to prospective participants, thus increasing participants’ diversity, accrual, retention, health care, and research access. However, little is known about the burden of caring for cancer patients participating in DCTs. This article describes how DCTs might affect the caregivers of cancer patients. The points discussed include how technological challenges for those without adequate digital literacy can overburden participants and their caregivers at home, as well as managing and optimizing research logistics and safe handling of samples. In addition, the shift in labor from the study personnel to the participants and their caregivers in a bid to complete several study procedures on their own can increase the care burden, especially if not well incentivized. Therefore, it is important to accumulate evidence on ways to optimize DCTs, especially in the home environment, without increasing the burden on caregivers, who will be an integral part of the study team and support the research at home.