Would You Back a Sports Team Without a Coach?

Robert Geckeler, MBA. — ScienceMedia Product Director

Robert Geckeler, MBA. — ScienceMedia Product Director

  • November, 2021

To use a sports analogy, protocol deviations and violations in a clinical study represent unforced errors. The application of proper study training, like that delivered through SMi Trial ScienceMedia's Protocol Compliance Management platform, has been proven to reduce and eliminate these entirely avoidable mistakes.

In the same way a coach provides pre-season training on fundamentals and then relies on practices and drills throughout the season to reinforce that training, SMi Trial can be counted on to not only provide foundational study education at start-up but also to continue that education throughout the life of a study. And, rather than having to rely solely on scheduled "practices," SMi Trial delivers on-demand training to match the needs of busy study staff for a flexible training solution that fits their schedule. It's like having a private coach.

Just as an experienced and effective coaching staff helps to field a winning team, the power behind the SMi Trial platform begins with its staff of seasoned medical writers and educational designers. Together, they employ established learning principles to craft concise, effective, and engaging modules that key in on the critical areas of a study. This focused approach targets those study requirements most at risk of being misunderstood or those areas where failure to comply will have serious consequences. The benefit is a study team that is well versed on study principles and practices, and aware of potential pitfalls to be avoided.

Simply put, I wouldn't back a sports team without a coach. So how are clinical trials running without protocol compliance management?


Robert Geckeler, MBA. — ScienceMedia Product Director

Prior to joining ScienceMedia, Mr. Geckeler logged over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry working on the clinical development across a wide range of product formats and therapeutic areas. Most recently, Robert served as the Chief Development Officer for Sitka Biopharma and as a board member for Cerion NRx. In addition, Robert previously led client services and product expansion at OneHealth, an online and mobile platform that used social networking, coaching, and disease management programs to support users with chronic medical conditions. Robert has a B.A. in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from San Diego State University.

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Would You Back a Sports Team Without a Coach?

To use a sports analogy, protocol deviations and violations in a clinical study represent unforced errors. The application of proper study training, like that delivered through SMi TrialTM, ScienceMedia's Protocol Compliance Management platform, has been proven to reduce and eliminate these entirely avoidable mistakes.