Blog | TELAG

Observational study: TELAG surveys 12,000 patients in 19 countries

Written by Marianne Kamstra, Key Account Manager Healthcare | Tuesday 18. August 20

TELAG's healthcare team is supporting a current observational study in 19 countries. Over 12,000 patients are being interviewed in detail by the healthcare specialists about their disease course over a period of four years. The aim of the study is to describe phenotypes and endotypes of patients with obstructive pulmonary diseases in order to develop targeted therapies for the different patient groups.

In 2017, TELAG was commissioned to conduct quarterly telephone interviews with selected patients as part of a longitudinal observation study to investigate obstructive pulmonary diseases. In addition to the annual examination, the personal contact by TELAG's healthcare experts is a central element of the study, which aims to provide information about the current condition of the study participants, their therapy, the course of the disease, the risk factors and the influence of the disease on their quality of life.l.

Die Studie dient der Erfassung von Krankheitsverläufen unter verschiedenen Therapien, ohne auf die individuelle Therapie Einfluss zu nehmen. Sie soll auch Erkenntnisse der bislang nicht erforschten Überlappung der Krankheitsbilder Asthma und COPD generieren, welche in der Vergangenheit klassischerweise getrennt untersucht wurden.

 

Mit guten Daten zu neuer Lebensqualität

Zur Erfassung von Patienten mit Asthma, COPD und den entsprechenden Mischbildern wurde eine internationale Beobachtungsstudie konzipiert. Für diese werden verschiedene Datenquellen zur Erfassung der Patientendaten kombiniert. Dazu zählen beispielsweise die elektronische Patientenakten, welche laufend mit den Untersuchungs- und Befragungsergebnissen in den elektronischen Erhebungsbögen (eCRF), Patientenfragebögen (PRO) sowie zentralisierten Spirometriedaten und Biobankdaten ergänzt werden.

In addition to the course of the disease and the subjective perception of the success of the therapy, the TELAG healthcare team also records the reality of care and the everyday conditions of the patients, which also have a strong influence on the quality of life of the patients. These include medical care in the respective country, demographics, stress, symptom and treatment history, other clinical characteristics, the treatment and socio-economic environment as well as general access to the health care system..

The study is intended to contribute to improvements in the diagnosis and therapy of the partially overlapping disease patterns of asthma and/or COPD through long-term observation and to provide information about the different care situations in the respective countries.

 

Personalisation in healthcare

TELAG's healthcare team has specialised in global clinical studies: Certified healthcare experts look after the participants of the study in the respective national language. Carried out in 19 countries on four continents, this long-term study aims to advance personalisation in healthcare in order to be able to provide the right patients with the right treatment at the right time in the future.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in the middle of the study affects the participants to a particularly high degree. For the so-called high-risk group, accessibility and willingness to provide information has therefore been particularly high since the outbreak of the pandemic:

«"The study reflects the state of the health system in the respective countries. Regular personal care is particularly appreciated in times of COVID-19. The accessibility is very good, as is the response from patients.".»

 

The study will run until March 2021, by which time biomarkers and clinical parameters associated with different outcomes will be established to identify new phenotypes and endotypes. TELAG's healthcare experts will continue to evaluate patients' pain scores and, in conjunction with the spirometer and treatment data, provide important clues for future treatment methods and new research priorities.

 

TELAG - Healthcare partner with certified expertise and over 20 years of experience

TELAG is a strategic and effective partner for healthcare companies around the globe in successfully conducting and completing observational and clinical studies with optimal patient compliance. Certified employees with a healthcare background have been supporting pharmaceutical companies and clinical research institutes for two decades in personally interviewing patients, managing studies, ensuring compliance of study participants and seamlessly continuing contact management.

 

Registration study, observational study, clinical study, phase 3 study: in which area of interest may we share our experience of two decades with you? Marianne Kamstra, Key Account Managerin Healthcare, marianne.kamstra@telag.ch +41 44 276 44 78

 

Highlights of the multinational observational study

  • 19 countries
  • 4 continents
  • >12’000 COPD- and/or asthma patients
  • Quaterly telephone patient support in 10 languages
  • 1 Partner: TELAG Healthcare