Can wearables and apps make rare disease clinical trials easier?
A review of 262 trials in ten rare diseases shows digital tools increasingly used for remote monitoring, treatment and long-term care.
The question
Hundreds of millions of people live with rare diseases, and most of these conditions have no effective treatment. New treatments need clinical trials, but trials for rare diseases are hard. Patients are few and spread far apart, and taking part over a long time is difficult.
What we did
We carried out a systematic review of how digital health tools, such as wearable devices, mobile apps and healthcare platforms, are used in rare disease trials. We analysed 262 trials across ten rare diseases.
What we found
Digital technologies were increasingly used for remote monitoring, digital treatment and long-term care.
Why it matters
Digital tools make it easier for patients to take part wherever they live. That can speed up the development of treatments and make research more inclusive by reaching patients who would otherwise be left out.