Online administration of test person insurance
In the past, managing a trial subject insurance often meant that a lot of information, such as the start and end of the trial, the number of participants or the use of drugs or medical devices, had to run across several desks. The digital application now automates this process. Dorothée Bretthauer, Product Owner in IT Development at the Ecclesia Group, emphasizes: “Whereas until recently, a contact person on the customer side was interposed between Ecclesia and the study management, there is now a direct link between the parties. Time-consuming forwarding of information is obsolete at this point.”
A central component of the application is the digital questionnaire for applying for trial participant insurance. Mandatory fields are provided to show which documents are still missing and need to be uploaded. This significantly reduces the workload and minimizes the number of queries. The submission and processing of a study is much faster overall. In addition, all of a clinic's studies are managed centrally with the digital application. Those responsible have access to all relevant documents and the respective status of the studies can be tracked. Broker and clinic activities are transparent and traceable. For example, if Ecclesia sends information to the insurer, the clinic can track this.
– Sandra Unruhe, Head of the University Hospitals Department at the Ecclesia GroupUniversity hospitals are the primary target group for our new application because they conduct the majority of studies and benefit the most from the tool. However, it could also be used by other clinics.
Advantages at a glance
- Automate and digitize processes: Less manual work and faster processing
- Centralize studies: Manage all studies in one place
- Full transparency: Overview of the status of studies at all times
- Relief for contact persons: Automated processes reduce the workload on the customer side
- No time-consuming paper administration: all documents are digital and easily accessible
- Easier allocation of studies in the annual contracts: Efficient administration and allocation
Review and outlook: Always focusing on customer needs
"University hospitals are at the heart of medical research and innovation. That's why we want to support them in streamlining and simplifying the associated processes for everyone involved in line with our strong customer focus," says Sandra Unruhe, Head of Department in the University Hospitals business division of the Ecclesia Group. "And, of course, we want to meet the digitalization requirements of our customers," continues Unruhe. The Ecclesia Group already offers ecconnect as a digital assistant for efficient contract and claims management, which can be used outside of the trial business. The new application for managing probationer insurance policies should be a useful addition to this.
– Uwe Thiebes, Insurance expert University Hospital Bonn (UK Bonn)The UK Bonn would like to thank you for participating in the project as a test clinic. We see the application as an effective addition to the existing ecconnect. This enables simpler and more transparent processing of studies.
The development of the application was an intensive process that took place in close cooperation with the university hospitals in Bonn and Münster. Daniela Ahlbach, Senior Account Manager in the University Hospitals division of the Ecclesia Group, reports: "In order to evaluate customer requirements, workshops were held on site with the customers. As a result, we were able to tailor our digital application precisely to the customer's requirements and offer a customized solution today."
The Ecclesia team would like to thank the University Hospitals of Bonn and Münster for their constructive cooperation and continuous input, which made a significant contribution to the development of the digital application. "This collaboration has shown how important continuous dialogue with our customers is," emphasizes Andy Devinast, team leader in Ecclesia's University Hospitals business unit. "This is the only way we can ensure that our solutions meet the actual needs of the clinics and offer them real added value."
– Ursula Nagel, Compliance and Insurance Division, University Hospital Münster (UKM)The UK Münster was involved in the pilot phase. In this context, requests for changes and comments could be introduced and implemented directly. The new program makes the administration of our studies much more efficient.
The application is designed to be continuously developed further. "Our aim is to add further modules to our platform in the future. These include commuting accident insurance or property cover," adds Martin Wand, also a senior customer advisor at the Ecclesia Group. Together with Daniela Ahlbach, he played a leading role in the project on the Ecclesia side.
The role of volunteer insurance in clinical trials:
Participants in clinical trials for the development of new drugs and medical devices, also known as trial subjects, are exposed to particular health risks. In order to protect them, the legislator often requires the conclusion of a so-called trial subject insurance policy. Sponsors of clinical trials must provide proof of this insurance in order to obtain official approval to conduct the trials. Subject insurance guarantees financial compensation for material damage suffered by subjects as a result of the clinical trial - whether in the event of damage to health or death.