How University Hospital RWTH Aachen streamlined clinical studies with ResearchManager

How University Hospital RWTH Aachen streamlined clinical studies with ResearchManager

The University Hospital RWTH Aachen is one of Germany’s leading academic medical centers. As a full hospital and training institution, it is actively involved in clinical research. The hospital conducts numerous multicenter studies to increase medical knowledge and improve patient care.

Dr. Mohammad E. Barbati is a vascular and endovascular surgeon at the hospital. He is regularly involved in multi-site clinical trials, which often require regular follow-ups over a two-year period.

When Dr. Barbati started looking for an eCRF solution, he had a few clear requirements: the tool had to comply with German privacy laws, be flexible enough to meet the specific needs of his team, and be cost-effective.

“Many eCRF providers we looked at only offered bundled services, where you couldn’t choose what you needed,” Dr. Barbati explained. “This made it far too expensive for researchers with more limited budgets.”

ResearchManager’s flexible and customizable eCRF

After evaluating multiple options, Dr. Barbati found exactly what he was looking for in ResearchManager. The platform proved flexible, competitively priced and fully compliant with regulations.

“What convinced me to work with ResearchManager was their willingness to customize a contract,” says Dr. Barbati. “I indicated that initially I could prepare the questionnaires myself, so we didn’t need that service at that time. Later, when I no longer had time for that, we were able to add that service back in with no problem.”

Rapid and supported implementation

The same flexibility applied to implementation. Although the first study’s design included long, detailed questionnaires (some with more than 30 items), the system was up and running within a month. The ResearchManager team provided quick support for the onboarding process and quickly resolved early problems with logins and account settings.

Once the system was implemented, ResearchManager proved easy to use. The study nurses adapted quickly thanks to its intuitive interface. And although it was Dr. Barbati’s first experience with an eCRF, he got used to it with little difficulty.

“I was used to simple online surveys, so for me it took a little longer to get used to,” he says. “But the nurses already had experience with eCRFs, so they didn’t need any additional training to get started with ResearchManager.”

Streamlined studies and stronger data

Before using ResearchManager, the team worked entirely with paper CRFs, and for studies without external funding, they still do. This is precisely why the difference is especially clear to Dr. Barbati.

Faster processing

“With paper CRFs, you had to sign and check stacks of documents at each visit. If a date or signature was wrong, you had to re-fill entire pages,” he recalls. “After a long day of clinical work another hour of filling out forms by hand was exhausting, and you couldn’t delegate many tasks.”

Now the process is much more efficient. Nurses use iPads to enter data directly into ResearchManager, and Dr. Barbati can view everything in real time.

Better follow-up

The system also makes it easier to flag missed appointments or follow-ups, especially when patients cancel or receive care elsewhere without the research team’s knowledge.

“In multicenter studies, questionnaires sometimes got lost,” Dr. Barbati explains. “We then found out too late that a patient had missed an appointment or had been treated elsewhere. Now we can track that, follow up and reschedule within the time window of the study.”

More patient engagement

The platform also makes remote participation more feasible. RWTH Aachen treats complex venous diseases that are rare elsewhere in Germany. Some patients travel long distances for care, but once treatment is stable, their own physician can often take over the follow-up care.

“In cases like that, sometimes the only reason for a return visit is just to fill out a questionnaire,” Dr. Barbati explains. “With ResearchManager, we can now do that remotely.”

Although physical visits are still preferred for data quality and consistency, the option for virtual follow-ups helps keep patients engaged when travel is inconvenient.

Continuing with ResearchManager

The University Hospital RWTH Aachen has now been working with ResearchManager for more than three years, in multiple studies. And Dr. Barbati is still enthusiastic.

“As soon as the budget allows, I’m happy to work with ResearchManager again,” he says. “The team really delivers value for money, the product is excellent for the price. I don’t want to advertise, but I would definitely recommend ResearchManager to colleagues looking for a similar solution.”

Want to know if ResearchManager is the right fit for your team? Then request a demo, we would be happy to help you get started.