A Novel Digital Framework for Conducting Multicenter Prospective Clinical Studies: An Open-Source Approach to Democratizing Medical Research

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> Multicentre prospective clinical studies remain the bedrock of evidence-based medicine, yet their uptake by small or resource-limited practices is stifled by heavy administrative loads, licensing costs and complex follow-up workflows¹-³. Recent advances in cloud collaboration and near-universal smartphone access create an opportunity to redesign trial logistics, but most available digital platforms are proprietary and expensive, curbing their reach⁴. Here we show that a fully open-source, automation-driven framework built from freely available cloud tools removes more than 90% of per-participant administrative time while maintaining high early follow-up compliance during an eight-month, multisite pilot. Patients self-enrol by scanning QR codes; data flow securely into shared dashboards, and custom App Script routines trigger adaptive reminder schedules without manual oversight. By eliminating infrastructure costs and simplifying recruitment, the framework enables any practitioner with an internet connection to contribute to multicentre research, opening doors to under-represented settings and accelerating the generation of generalisable evidence. Widespread adoption could transform research equity, redefine trial resourcing and provide an immediately deployable blueprint for next-generation, patient-centred study design.

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