ClinConnect: Telehealth Consent Checklist & Oncology Burden Metrics

ClinConnect's latest trend analysis pairs two converging priorities in decentralized research: a practical Telehealth consent and accessibility checklist and improved approaches for Measuring treatment burden in oncology trials. The synthesis draws on a ClinConnect survey of 210 clinical professionals and on qualitative input from caregivers and cancer patients exploring treatment options.

Telehealth consent and accessibility checklist: what clinicians report

In a survey of 210 clinical professionals, 78% said telehealth consent processes reduced initial no-shows, while 64% flagged inconsistent tech access as a primary barrier. Respondents endorsed a concise checklist to standardize remote consent, improve comprehension, and measure accessibility in real time. The checklist synthesizes legal, technical, and equity elements to make teleconsent operational across sites.

• Confirm identity verification and e-signature compatibility
• Assess device and connectivity readiness, including low-bandwidth options
• Provide plain-language consent summaries and multilingual support
• Record consent interactions and confirm comprehension with teach-back
• Document caregiver involvement and proxy permissions

Cancer patients exploring treatment options consistently emphasize clarity and time to decide. Clinicians reported that 52% of prospective oncology trial participants requested an in-person follow-up after a teleconsent visit—often to discuss logistics with family caregivers or to reconcile work schedules.

Measuring treatment burden in oncology trials: metrics that matter

Measuring treatment burden in oncology trials means moving beyond adverse events to capture cumulative time, travel, symptom interference, and caregiver load. Our survey shows 71% of clinicians favor integrating short patient-reported burden instruments at baseline and every treatment cycle, while 59% support passive monitoring via wearables to quantify activity disruption. Patient-reported measures (fatigue, cognitive load, financial strain), visit frequency, and remote vs. in-person task burden create a composite score that is actionable for trial design. Modern trial discovery tools and patient-researcher connections can help enroll patients whose priorities align with less burdensome protocols.

"As a caregiver, I needed a single checklist and a predictable schedule. Remote consent was helpful, but coordinating my partner's scans with my workshift was the biggest hurdle," shared a family caregiver who supports a patient in an early-phase oncology study.

Family caregiver inclusion in stroke studies has set precedent: structured caregiver input improves adherence and identifies hidden costs. That model translates to oncology, where caregiver time and emotional load materially affect retention.

Trends and predictions

Expect three correlated trends over the next 24 months: (1) widespread adoption of standardized telehealth consent and accessibility checklists across sites; (2) routine incorporation of burden metrics into primary trial endpoints or secondary analyses; and (3) operational supports for participants who are working parents or caregivers, including flexible visit windows and reimbursed home phlebotomy. Surveyed professionals anticipate a 40% increase in trials explicitly reporting burden scores by 2027. Key takeaways:

• Standardized teleconsent checklists reduce variance in comprehension and enrollment.
• Quantitative treatment-burden metrics complement safety data and predict retention.
• Caregiver perspectives reveal logistical bottlenecks that disproportionately affect working parents.
• Platforms that connect patients with trials can surface studies with lower burden profiles, aiding decision-making for cancer patients exploring options.

Operationalizing these insights requires measurement harmonization and simple workflow changes: embed the telehealth consent and accessibility checklist into e-consent platforms, collect short burden PROMs at key timepoints, and design scheduling policies that acknowledge caregiver constraints. These steps will make trials more ethical and pragmatic—and increase the likelihood that patients and families can participate without undue disruption.