Biometrics Services Spotlight: Upskilling for the Future of Clinical Data Management 

In this spotlight, we sit down with Nicole Pollard, Senior Director of Data Management at eClinical Solutions to discuss the  Biometrics Services’ Data Management Bootcamp initiative  This training is part of eClinical Solutions’ broader commitment to evolving  skills of its team in line with the Society for Clinical Data Management’s (SCDM) pathway to clinical data science, within the context of overall clinical data transformation. During our conversation, Nicole highlights the scope of the training, the key skills being developed, and the benefits to both clients and the team. 

Q: Can you tell us more about the Data Management Bootcamp and why it was launched? 

Nicole Pollard: The boot camp is actually an expansion and evolution of a longstanding initiative. Our main goal with this training is to upskill our team as they evolve into Clinical Data Manager roles (CDMs). With team members coming from varied backgrounds, the boot camp ensures that our team has the knowledge and expertise to support senior data managers and portfolio leads with the complexity of modern clinical trials. 

We named this program “Back to Basics” to reset the foundation for our team, ensuring that every team member starts from the same understanding of our role in clinical trials, our elluminate platform, and the analytics tools we use. This foundation is especially key as we move beyond traditional “heads-down” data management to include more clinical data science concepts, frameworks, and methodologies. We want to empower our team to be comfortable not just with cleaning data but also with providing a more holistic approach, deeper insights and telling a data story to our clients.     

Q: How does the bootcamp fit into eClinical Solutions’ broader goals, particularly around clinical data science? 

Nicole Pollard: This ongoing learning process aligns with the objectives of eClinical Solutions to utilize our comprehensive platform with analytics and enhance data management capabilities in clinical research. This transformation involves embracing clinical trial oversight analytics, centralizing data, and utilizing tools such as AI and machine learning, which are already integrated into our platform. 

Through the boot camp, we are aiding our team in becoming more skilled in analytics, reinforcing dataset reliability, and customizing patient data insights from the data we handle. This shift is crucial in revolutionizing how we assist our clients and enabling them to make more informed, prompt data-driven decisions in their drug development programs. 

Q: What are some of the technical skills that the bootcamp focuses on? 

Nicole Pollard: The boot camp is designed to be comprehensive, covering a wide range of technical skills and soft skills. With the fundamentals of clinical trials and data management at the heart, we quickly move into more advanced topics like deciphering the key elements from a protocol, how to develop streamlined and efficient validation specifications, how to interpret data across multiple sources, and how to use analytics (data and operational) to derive trends and insights. We also focus on best practices for integrated data reviews, data visualization, and maximizing the use of our platform.  

We are also introducing new components like the eIQ module, which adds an extra layer of analytics to the mix. Our goal is to ensure the team is comfortable using all the available tools, including artificial intelligence capabilities. This will enable them to provide a more integrated, strategic view of the data, allowing them to offer sponsors deeper insights for decision-making. 

Q: What are soft skills and how are those incorporated into the training? 

Nicole Pollard: Soft skills are a critical part of the training, especially as the role of the data manager expands beyond its traditional scope, towards a key player at the heart of clinical trial decision-making. In addition to technical skills, we’re focusing on areas like project management, effective communication, risk and quality management, and building client relationships. 

For example, we cover taking ownership of deliverables, proactively addressing issues, and building stronger working relationships. These soft skills are just as important as the technical ones because they elevate the role of the data manager to a more strategic and influential position within the clinical trial team.  

Q: How do eClinical Solutions clients benefit from this training? 

Nicole Pollard: Clients benefit from exceptional service provided by a team that has a comprehensive understanding of our platform and data management processes. Our team will not only clean the data but also analyze trends, provide insights, and present a coherent story with the data. 

Instead of simply addressing individual data points, our team will examine aggregated data and explore interactions across multiple sources. They will identify potential outliers, recognize patterns, and recommend actions to improve trial outcomes. This proactive approach can significantly impact our clients’ decision-making process and lead to more efficient and successful drug development programs. 

Q: How does this training benefit the team itself? 

Nicole Pollard: This training is transformative for our internal team, giving them the confidence to use our platform to its fullest potential and handle the growing complexity of modern trials. We’ve had great feedback from the team on the value they’ve gained from participating. One of the key takeaways is that learning is an ongoing process. This bootcamp is not just a one-off training event; we have multiple touchpoints throughout the year where team members can continue to develop their skills. We’re also encouraging a “tell, show, do” model—where team members learn by doing and then share their experiences with others. This continuous learning journey not only improves job satisfaction and retention but is an integral part of building and maintaining a high-performing team equipped for the future state. 

Q: What’s next for the bootcamp and the team at eClinical Solutions? 

Nicole Pollard: We’re planning a second wave of the bootcamp, which will focus on senior data managers and portfolio leads, taking a deeper dive into our data management transformation, and focusing more on advanced data science concepts and methodologies. We’ll also continue to refine our training and development programs to ensure that our team stays ahead of the curve in this fast-evolving industry. 

For more information about eClinical Solutions, its Biometrics Services, and the elluminate Clinical Data Cloud, visit www.eclinicalsol.com