Decentralized clinical Trials (DCTs) bring some or all elements of a clinical trial closer to patients. Consent, screening, treatment administration, and more can be administered through digital technologies and local health care providers, expanding accessibility for patients who face barriers to participation in traditional single site trials. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Erin Pierce, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Associate Clinical Investigator and Nurse Practitioner at HonorHealth Research Institute, and Kristen Kipping-Johnsson, MPH, Director of Network Research Operations at the University of Chicago, about how each of their cancer programs are approaching DCT implementation. Their discussion explores how decentralized components, such as community-based treatment delivery, centralized research infrastructure, and hybrid trial designs, can increase participation opportunities for patients in both community and academic settings.
“APPs are really poised to step into that role [of investigator] and help, not take the place of physicians, but work alongside our physician colleagues and enable us to expand the abilities of research.” —Erin Pierce, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
“Quality of life, being able to keep patients treated closer to home, allow them to stay with the physician that diagnosed them...Those are the things that are really important to me when it comes to decentralization.” —Kristen Kipping-Johnson, MPH
Guests:
Erin Pierce, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Associate Clinical Investigator
Nurse Practitioner
HonorHealth Research Institute
Scottsdale, AZ
Kristen Kipping-Johnson, MPH
Director of Network Research Operations
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Resources:
This podcast was created in partnership with the Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance, with support from Eli Lilly and Company, Gilead Sciences, and Merck.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s)/faculty member(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of their employer(s) or the Association of Cancer Care Centers.
September 10, 2026
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