Clinical trials have traditionally served as the gold standard for developing and testing new drugs and devices. Relying solely on them to demonstrate safety and effectiveness, though, can be risky. That’s why we need greater use of real-world data.

The beauty of clinical trials is that they provide a standardized approach to developing a medical treatment within carefully prescribed conditions. The downside is that they focus on highly selective, homogenous populations and provide limited outcome measurements. Incorporating real-world data can help overcome these limitations and mitigate risk. That’s why the pharmaceutical industry needs to embrace it more strongly.