Scientific & Medical Affairs

Specialty Clinical Solutions

Clinical Technologies

UBC is the industry leader in designing and executing inter-rater reliability and certification programs. Clinical studies frequently employ research instruments that are subjective and rely on interpretation by individual health care professionals. Subjective methods of collecting research data – such as study scales that rely on input from health care professionals or patients – create the potential for variability across study sites and individuals and sometimes result in flawed or failed studies.

UBC focuses on enhancing the competency of data collection– whether from health care professionals or patients – through customized training and validated assessment programs designed to reduce avoidable data variance, protect study data and endpoints, and increase the likelihood of completing a clinically meaningful study. UBC programs target all individuals involved in data collection: patients, investigators, site clinicians, study coordinators, and other site personnel.

Our programs can:

• Increase understanding of target disease areas;
• Enhance accurate diagnosis and appropriate patient enrollment;
• Certify raters to conduct research interviews, administer and score rating; instruments and maximize concordance with standardized scoring conventions;
• Strengthen regulatory submission packages through in-study ratings surveillance and reliability activities.

Beyond the inherent subjectivity of clinician ratings and patient-reported data, a number of operational complexities can insert variances, including:

• Multi-national programs that introduce both cultural and language differences
• Placebo response
• Large studies that may require sponsors to recruit less experienced sites
• Long programs that can suffer from staff turnover at sites

UBC develops training and assessment programs to neutralize the impact of these factors, including:

• Culturally balanced curricula and translated materials
• Blended learning techniques and venues to leverage live and self-paced training
• Segmented tracks to accommodate trainees with all levels of experience

Brochures

• The Rater Data Application System

Thought Leaders

• Joan Busner PhD
• David G. Daniel, MD
• David Miller, MD

Key Opinion Leaders

• Hubert H. Fernandez, MD
• W. Wolfgang Fleishhacker, MD
• Heinz C.R. Grunze, MD
• Marek Jarema, MD PhD
• Stuart A. Montgomery, MD
• Norman Sartorius, MD PhD, FRCPsych
• Eduard Vieta, MD PhD
• David P. Walling PhD