Smarter eCOA Connectivity: Eliminating Integration Barriers

As clinical trials become increasingly data-driven, modern eCOA solutions promise streamlined workflows, fewer technical issues for sites, and faster access to reliable data. Standard systems tout custom coding, which sounds flexible and scalable, but the truth is they’re often far more challenging.

Until now, many clinical teams have been forced to contend with those challenges, develop creative workarounds, or, in some cases, sacrifice valuable resources. But when an eCOA can integrate seamlessly across platforms, those obstacles may be a thing of the past.

The Hidden Challenges of Custom-Coded eCOA Integrations

It’s no secret that the integrations required to connect eCOAs with vital applications used in clinical research are complicated. While custom-coded eCOA integrations may seem like a tailored solution designed to meet the needs of your team, they often create more challenges.

In fact, in addition to study delays and increased costs, integration challenges can have significant impacts on both patients and researchers. Prior to and during a study, regular communication with participants is vital. Clinical trials may risk losing trial participants when communication tools fail. For researchers, not only do those lost patients mean unusable data, but custom integrations can create other data integrity and

communication issues.

Unfortunately, the complications don’t end there.

Complexity and Maintenance Issues

Developing and maintaining custom-coded integrations is resource-intensive. Estimates indicate that a significant portion of IT budgets in clinical research is consumed by managing these tailored solutions. Rather than allocating resources to research, organizations are, instead, forced to focus on managing complex integrations, custom code maintenance, and system interoperability challenges.

In fact, as core systems like EDCs and RTSMs undergo routine updates, these hard-coded connections can break, forcing teams into a cycle of constant rework and repair. This not only delays projects but can also consume operational costs. 

Data Silos and Inconsistencies

Data is the most critical asset in clinical research, so ensuring data integrity and the ability to share essential data across platforms should be a top priority. However, when integrations aren’t streamlined, clinical research data can become isolated within different systems.

Those different systems, inevitably, create data silos which come with their own issues that may threaten the integrity of research data. Further, without a real-time data exchange, discrepancies, including inaccurate or duplicated data, are likely.

Data inconsistencies require reconciliation and manual data entry, which can be risky as errors and delays are common. This may undermine the accuracy of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and ultimately affect the reliability of clinical trial results.

Scalability and Trial Expansion Challenges

Custom integrations are typically designed for a specific trial setup. When it comes time to expand a trial or introduce system changes, each new configuration may require substantial reworking. Scaling up may require additional applications or new functionality, both of which require additional coding. In some cases, this process can add several very costly months to study startup or scale-up timelines.

Additionally, reliance on proprietary coding creates vendor lock-in, limiting flexibility and agility when responding to evolving trial designs or regulatory requirements.

Regulatory and Compliance Risks

Beyond operational inefficiencies, custom-coded solutions pose significant compliance challenges. The complexity inherent in these integrations increases the likelihood of validation errors, which can have serious regulatory implications. Data validation issues stemming from custom integrations can also cause delays, which may jeopardize both patient safety and the integrity of trial outcomes.

These challenges are precisely what drives the development of solutions that facilitate seamless integration among clinical trial applications. What if we re-examined existing systems and reduced the reliance on custom-coding? The result would be a more robust, adaptable solution that boosts the efficiency and reliability of eCOA integrations.

The Smarter Approach: A Seamlessly Connected eCOA Solution

With recent technology advancements, custom-coding is no longer necessary.  Choosing an  eCOA or eConsent platform that natively connects with critical platforms including EDCs and RTSMs without the need for custom-coded workarounds, is not only possible, it’s becoming mission-critical. These optimized tech stacks result in significant boosts in efficiency and accuracy as well as participant and data security.

This kind of unified design, enabled through an open API, ensures that any inbound or outbound data or messages are processed exactly as if it were an action taken directly within the EDC or RTSM system itself. In effect, all platforms communicate as one cohesive system.

In 2019, research revealed organizations that adopt integrated systems see operational efficiency improvements of up to 30% compared to traditional, custom-built solutions. And now, in 2025, that same report shows that more than half of the respondents are prioritizing the ability to seamlessly and easily gather and standardize data across platforms. That stability, across platforms and clinical trials, helps minimize maintenance overhead and dramatically reduces the risk of costly errors.

Real-Time, Bidirectional Data Exchange  

A major advantage of an eCOA solution utilizing open API is the ability to achieve real-time synchronization of data. With this seamless integration, patient-reported outcomes and other key clinical data are automatically updated across all integrated systems. Any changes in patient eligibility, randomization, dosing schedules, diaries, or other patient messaging are immediately reflected across the necessary platforms, ensuring the data researchers and participants see is as current and reliable as the actions taken within an EDC or RTSM system.

Enhanced Clinical Trial Flexibility and Scalability

Traditional custom-coded solutions often require extensive reconfiguration for each new trial or system update. As noted, this can result in significant delays during study start-up or when ready to scale.

In contrast, an interoperable system built on open APIs adapts effortlessly to different trial designs without the need for custom coding. As a result, integrated systems can reduce study start-up times.

Further, this flexibility not only supports the demands of decentralized and hybrid trial models but also eliminates vendor lock-in, allowing clinical operations to scale seamlessly with evolving research needs.

When it comes to connectivity, collaboration, data integrity, and efficiency, stacking custom codes on every app and every function needed for clinical trial communication may be the standard solution, but it’s no longer the best.

Transforming how eCOAs communicate with other clinical systems helps create a reliable, efficient, and future-proof approach to data integration. In short, every action and data point is handled and shared with the precision and immediacy modern clinical trials demand.

The Future of eCOA: Driving Efficiency and Compliance

As clinical research evolves, technology must step up to meet its demands and needs. Currently, integration barriers may be causing unnecessary delays, compromising data integrity, and complicating communication and collaboration.

In contrast, the next-generation eCOA solution not only boosts trial efficiency but also enhances data accuracy and regulatory compliance. With seamless, bidirectional communication between systems, clinical teams experience fewer delays and a significant reduction in error rates. The result? More reliable study outcomes, increased efficiencies, and lower overall costs.

Research and industry reports consistently show that streamlined systems can lead to dramatic improvements, honing in on the importance of a cohesive, adaptable eCOA solution that works across all platforms, from EDCs and RTSMs to eConsent systems.

When technology evolves to offer smarter, more reliable solutions, it's not just an upgrade—it's a strategic advantage. Adopting an interoperable eCOA solution means moving beyond outdated, custom-coded approaches that often create hidden inefficiencies and compliance risks. Instead, clinical teams can experience a future where every action, every data point, and every system interaction is consistent, accurate, and seamlessly integrated.

Ultimately, investing in a technology that drives efficiency and enhances compliance isn't just about keeping pace with innovation; it's about ensuring the success and integrity of clinical trials. When better outcomes are on the line, such advancements are not only worth analyzing, they're essential.Ready to experience the future of eCOA integrations? Reach out to our team today and book a demo. 

About the Author:

Amanda Nite is Senior Vice President of Product & Operations