In an era defined by rapid advancements in technology and science, healthcare research and clinical trials are undergoing a transformative shift. At the heart of this revolution is data—vast, diverse, and ever-growing—and the collaborative efforts of stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem. From traditional clinical trials to the integration of real-world data (RWD), researchers and clinicians are harnessing the power of information to drive more precise, efficient, and patient-centered outcomes.
Akiko Shimamura, Senior Vice President of Clinical Trial Design & Optimization at TriNetX, spoke at Better Data for Better Research: A TriNetX Symposium about how TriNetX data, tools, and technology are empowering healthcare organizations (HCOs), academic institutions, and researchers in three key areas: research, collaboration, and clinical trials.
Shimamura’s message was clear: TriNetX’s goal is to provide robust support to its HCO network members, enabling them to unlock the full potential of their research programs and foster stronger partnerships, all while accelerating clinical trial participation.
Research:
Streamlining Data for Better Insights
Data management remains one of the most significant pain points for researchers. The complexity of working with both structured and unstructured data, synthesizing it to provide a complete view of a patient’s journey, and then analyzing that data in a meaningful way can be overwhelming. Shimamura highlighted that TriNetX simplifies this process by offering de-identified datasets coupled with powerful analytics, making it easier for HCOs to conduct rigorous research.
By offering “fit-for-purpose” data tailored to specific research needs, TriNetX helps reduce the burdens associated with juggling multiple data sources and vendors. The analytics capabilities within the TriNetX LIVE™ platform are designed to allow for the seamless integration of complex data points, supporting precise insights and more effective decision-making.
Collaboration:
Enhancing Multi-Site Research
Collaboration across hospitals and research institutions can often be hindered by the complexities of data-sharing, privacy concerns, and the logistical difficulties of coordinating multi-site research. TriNetX is addressing these challenges by facilitating HCO-to-HCO collaborations at regional, national, and even global levels.
Shimamura emphasized the importance of privacy-preserving methods when pooling insights from multiple institutions. With TriNetX, HCOs can collaborate while maintaining the integrity of patient data, ensuring compliance with global data privacy standards. The TriNetX LIVE™ platform supports multi-site research initiatives, enabling researchers to access a larger pool of data and share insights, thus driving more robust and comprehensive research outcomes.
Clinical Trials:
Addressing Fragmentation and Maximizing Participation
Clinical trial opportunities are critical for advancing medical treatments, but fragmented visibility across sites, departments, and principal investigators (PIs) can create delays in trial initiation and recruitment. Furthermore, stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria often limit patient recruitment, prolonging timelines and reducing the overall efficiency of trials.
TriNetX supports HCOs by surfacing trial opportunities, optimizing patient identification, and providing better visibility into ongoing trials. The TriNetX LIVE™ platform not only enables more effective recruitment strategies but also helps sponsors develop more feasible trial designs by “pressure testing” inclusion and exclusion criteria. This ensures that trials are more likely to succeed and that patients have access to the treatments they need in a timely manner.
Innovations on the Horizon:
AI, Advanced Analytics, and Expanding Ecosystems
One of the most exciting parts of Shimamura’s presentation was the preview of innovations planned for 2025. TriNetX is set to enhance its TriNetX LIVE™ platform with cutting-edge tools designed to streamline research workflows, improve collaboration, and optimize clinical trials. Among these innovations are advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), including large language models (LLMs) that can assist researchers in building queries and translating complex clinical trial protocols into actionable research designs.
AI-Driven Research:
Building Protocols with Ease
Shimamura shared a demonstration of how AI can transform the process of building clinical trial queries. In the demo, AI was used to generate a protocol from a simple sentence describing inclusion and exclusion criteria for a clinical trial. This capability has the potential to dramatically speed up research design and reduce the manual effort required to create queries and protocols. While AI is not a replacement for expert input, it can provide a strong foundation for researchers to build upon, thus accelerating the overall process of trial design.
Advanced Analytics:
Enabling Better Data for Better Outcomes
TriNetX continues to invest in advanced analytics to facilitate faster, more accurate insights from data. The platform’s capabilities include precision querying, advanced diversity analytics, and enhanced tools for analyzing cohort data.
Looking ahead, TriNetX plans to introduce Cox proportional hazards regression for survival analysis and expand functionality for studying longitudinal patient data. These enhancements will empower researchers to conduct more comprehensive real-world evidence (RWE) studies and generate insights that can better inform patient care.
Expanding the Ecosystem:
A Marketplace for Research Collaboration
As part of its commitment to fostering collaboration, TriNetX is working on expanding its ecosystem to include a more comprehensive marketplace. This marketplace will not only facilitate clinical trial opportunities but also enable institutions to engage in other types of research, such as chart reviews.
Shimamura hinted at the possibility of creating bidirectional collaboration platforms, where both HCOs and sponsors can engage more fluidly. This expanded ecosystem aims to create new opportunities for collaboration, while also supporting a more diverse range of research activities.
To further support collaborative clinical trial efforts, TriNetX is enhancing its “Connect” functionality. This includes improved HCO profiles to ensure trial opportunities are accurately matched to the right institutions, and the ability for HCOs to export Connect requests, making it easier for PIs to assess and respond to trial opportunities quickly. These enhancements are designed to minimize bottlenecks and accelerate trial participation, thus helping HCOs streamline their clinical trial workflows.
A Future of Possibilities
TriNetX is positioning itself as a critical partner in the future of healthcare research and clinical trials. Through a commitment to empowering research, fostering collaboration, and enhancing clinical trial opportunities, TriNetX is setting new standards for what is possible in the healthcare space.
With exciting innovations on the horizon, from AI-driven protocol builds to advanced analytics and a more connected ecosystem, TriNetX is paving the way for more efficient, inclusive, and impactful healthcare research in 2025 and beyond.
Ready to dig deeper? Visit the On-Demand TriNetX Symposium Video Library to watch Akiko Shimamura’s full presentation as well as access the complete lineup of on-demand Symposium presentations.
