Lack of distinction, poor understanding, and misuse of the terms Full-Service Outsourcing (FSO) and Functional Service Provider (FSP) ultimately fail to provide Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) with meaningful and actionable insight to inform strategic decision-making and continuous improvement.
Today, biopharmaceutical companies collect vast operating data to inform, predict, and ultimately optimize clinical trial performance. However, without a clear understanding of differentiated outsourcing models, this data offers insufficient insight into the contribution and comparative value of a model or combination of models. Also, as operating models continue to evolve, the outsourcing models have not adapted during the same time.
With a lack of differentiation between FSO and FSP approaches, it is critical for CROs and sponsor companies to standardize the definitions of sourcing models in use. Universal definitions ensure a common understanding between partners and the industry concerning roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities. Consistency in the descriptions used by the industry to characterize work is also critical for establishing industry-wide recognition. It also facilitates the acceptance of benchmarks that enable more meaningful and reasonable comparisons of the effectiveness of sourcing models across the life of a development project.
A standardized CRO sourcing model terminology will ultimately lead to higher quality work and improved patient outcomes.
Click here to read the original article published by Applied Clinical Trials.
Please give your feedback on this article or share a similar story for publishing by clicking here.
