2nd DECENTRALIZED & HYBRID CLINICAL TRIALS WORLD CONGRESS 2026 EUROPE
Redefining Clinical Research Through Decentralization, Technology, and Collaboration
Day 2 - Thursday 26th February 2026
Robert Mitchell-Thain, CEO, PBC Foundation
TECHNOLOGY, OPERATIONS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK
- Turning sustainability goals into measurable action requires, more than intent, it demands collaboration, innovation and integration across every stage of the clinical trials process.
- This presentation and panel discussion brings together leaders from across the clinical research landscape to explore how environmental consideration are being embedded into trial operations in practical, scalable ways.
- The session will explore how to use available tools, such as the clinical trials carbon calculator to assess and reduce trial emissions, discuss how to decarbonise the patient journey from recruitment to retention and build cross-sectoral partnerships to scale sustainable solutions.
Moderator:
Fiona Adshead, Chair, Sustainable Healthcare Coalition
Panellist:
Carly Santer, Strategic Initiatives Project Leader & Sustainability Activator, Bayer UK
Joanna Bell, Project Manager, Sustainable Healthcare Coalition
Hugh Whetherly, Sr Consultant, Product Sustainability Team, ERM
Senior Representative, NovoNordisk
- This talk explores what it really means to undertake inclusive research in practice, drawing on the work of EDIRA
– the Equality, Diversity and Inclusive Research Association. Building on three EDIRA events, it traces a journey
from EDIRA-23 Barriers to Inclusion, to EDIRA-24 Building Trust, to EDIRA-25 Book of Doers who are changing
how research is conceived, designed, and delivered.
The focus for EDIRA-26 - Throughout, the session the underlying theme will be based on a central question: “Whose voice is it anyway?” – challenging delegates to examine whose voices are centred, whose are marginalised, and how lived experience can be recognised as core research expertise rather than an optional add on.
Dr Sondra Butterworth CEO & Founder, RareQoL (Rare Quality of Life) and EDIRA (Equality Diversity and Inclusive Research Association)
Diversity is a key success factor in clinical trials: advancing science and medicine through a variety of lived experiences and living conditions – particularly, people with disabilities. Digital accessibility design standards for patients with disabilities can be critical to clinical trial access, engagement, adherence, and measurement. With the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(WCAG) design standards for Information & Communication Technologies.
- WHY: disability inclusion in health equity
- WHAT: clinical trial digital ecosystem
- HOW: inclusive design standards
Dr. Stephen Framil, Corporate Global Head of Accessibility, Merck & Co., INC
- Identify structural barriers to recruitment and retention in clinical research.
- Develop strategies to enhance recruitment and retention of individuals.
- Feasible approaches to improve patient retention in clinical trials.
Mohamed Sharaf, EMEA Regional Senior Medical Advisor (Immunology), J & J
- Expanding inclusive strategies to improve DCT participation across Europe.
- Embedding AI and digital tools into modern trial planning.
- Identifying savings from reduced site visits and remote operations.
- Balancing tech investment with patient engagement costs.
- Tracking shifts toward adaptive, risk-based DCT budgeting.
RESERVED
- How electronic healthcare record (EHR) data from UK primary care practice has been used to find and recruit eligible patients for clinical trials, provide follow-up data to ascertain clinical trial outcomes, support safety monitoring and for external control arms.
- Key regulatory considerations around data quality when using EHR data to support clinical trials.
Puja Myles, Director, Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), M H R A
This presentation will examine the patient perspective on decentrialised trials, including:
- Traditional Clinical Trial Design vs Decentralised Trial Design and how this affects the patient’s role as a participant.
- Patients’ needs when participating in clinical trial and how this should shape decentralised trial.
- What to be aware about as a sponsor when designing a decentralised trials?
- How does the future clinical trial look like and how does this affect the different stakeholders in clinical trials?
Rasmus Hjorth, Head of Communication, James Lind Care
- The session focuses on how participants experience trial burden, support, and value, and why these factors directly impact recruitment, retention, and data quality.
- The session concludes with practical guidance on how sponsors can operationalise patient preferences to move from patient-informed to truly patient-ready trial design and delivery.
Alexandra Charge, CEO and Co-Founder, ISPEP
- How can collaboration between regulators, industry, and academia accelerate DCT innovation across
Europe? - What funding and infrastructure models best support large-scale decentralized trial adoption?
- How can shared digital platforms improve data interoperability and transparency?
- What role will EU initiatives like Horizon Europe and IMI play in sustaining long-term DCT growth?
Senior Representative, Health Research Authority
- How are decentralized trials evolving from pilot initiatives to Europe’s new research standard?
- How can decentralized models be effectively integrated with national healthcare systems?
- How can AI and real-world data enhance adaptive and data-driven study design?
- How can transparency and data ownership strengthen patient trust and engagement?
- How will decentralized trials become a core pillar of the European Health Union?
Moderator:
Puja Myles, Director, Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), MHRA
Panellists:
Carole Sian Scrafton, Director & Co-Founder, Flutters and Strutters
Lorna Pender, Medical Director, AOP Health
Senior Representative, Alexion
Co-located with Patient Centricity & Collaboration World Congress 2026 Europe.
Joint Networking & Exhibit Area.
