Paragon Improves Clinical Trial Outcomes Using Caspio’s HIPAA-Compliant Software

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimate that it costs up to $3 billion to develop a new drug. Despite all the money involved, only 13.8% of clinical trials achieve FDA approval, according to a study by Oxford University.

While some clinical trials fail due to unexpected drug reactions and other unavoidable reasons, some failures are preventable. For example, many patients drop out when they find it too difficult to travel to the research site or if the assessment schedules are not optimal.

Recognizing this challenge, clinical research support company Paragon Global CRS was in a unique position to improve the success rates of clinical trials.

Paragon: Healthcare Concierge for Clinical Trials

Paragon’s mission is to humanize the clinical trial experience, catering to patients’ logistics needs throughout their entire journey — similar to a concierge desk at a 5-star hotel. Everything is tailored for the patient based on the specific parameters of each trial: from transportation, accommodations and expense reimbursements, to outpatient care and relocation services.

In addition to servicing patients, Paragon assists clinical research organizations with drug deliveries, reimbursement processing, stipend management, participant surveys and even patient support groups.

Paragon administers all these services from its headquarters in Wilmington, North Carolina, but operates globally, processing patient requests and financial transactions 24/7. To date, Paragon has scheduled over 13,000 patient appointments and 600 life sciences meetings in over 50 countries.

Growing Pains in a Highly Regulated Industry

With so many patient requests coming in around the clock, Paragon staff struggled to maintain their high-touch customer service standards and keep pace with the increasing volume of data entry tasks. Additionally, they had to ensure that all data management practices complied with HIPAA regulations, which mandate proper storage and handling of protected health information.

To tackle these challenges, Paragon hired Danielle Baxter as the Director of Business Development. Danielle was tasked to find and implement an online patient portal that could meet their data management and compliance requirements. The cloud-based solution also had to support Paragon’s unique business model and rapid growth.

Baxter started evaluating various off-the-shelf healthcare software options, but soon discovered that they didn’t support Paragon’s communication workflows, business processes and data security needs.

Then she found Caspio’s HIPAA-compliant software.

All-in-One: Cloud, Custom and HIPAA-Compliant

“We faced very specific challenges before we found Caspio,” Baxter said. “We were trying to find an appropriate tool to efficiently manage our day-to-day operations. We also needed to be HIPAA-compliant to provide a continuity of care for all the entities we work with.”

Despite not having a technical background, Baxter started building an online patient portal and internal administrative application, tapping Caspio support whenever she had questions.

Paragon launched the first version of its patient portal application within five months. This initial success was quickly followed by a mobile version, which was released within two weeks.

“There was never any doubt in my mind that Caspio was the right solution for Paragon. If you look at our practices, our companies are perfectly suited for each other. We’re both global, yet nimble teams of highly specialized support personnel. Both Paragon and Caspio expertly manage what is otherwise unfathomable, and we do it behind the scenes without a lot of fuss.”

Continued Focus on Improving Patient Outcomes

Paragon’s decision to build their patient portal on Caspio’s HIPAA-compliant software has transformed its day-to-day operations. Reports that used to take two weeks to prepare are now generated in a matter of seconds. Overall, the application reduced Paragon’s data entry time by 80%, allowing the company to focus on what matters most.

Using Caspio, Paragon also helps pharmaceutical companies register trial participants, schedule services, print study documents and track appointments while ensuring the confidentiality of patient and research information.

“There’s nothing our software can’t do,” said Baxter. “What we’ve been able to do with Caspio is turn a business problem into an opportunity for growth. What higher compliment is there than that?”

Investing in a Strategic Partnership

Baxter credits Paragon’s success in part to Caspio’s similar focus on superior customer service. In addition to the video tutorials and how-to articles, it was the consistent assistance she received from the Caspio Support and Account Management teams that made all the difference.

“We’re blessed with a phenomenal partnership with Caspio — a company that genuinely invests in their clients,” Baxter said. “There may be other rapid development platforms out there, but I guarantee they don’t give you the support that Caspio offers.”

She recommends Caspio as “an optimal solution” for companies looking to rapidly optimize and scale their business operations. “Because of Caspio, we were able to contemplate growth and to imagine it as something very real, and within our grasp,” she added.

Does your healthcare organization need help implementing HIPAA-compliant software? Schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help you launch custom applications tailored to your specific needs.