Live vs. Real Time

Stop settling for "real time." It's time to go live.

Live Data Capture™ at the point of care.

The clinical trial industry’s definition of “real time” is an illusion: visible after entry, not as it happens. That lag leads to mistakes, delays, unnecessary costs, and too many “best guesses.” We don’t believe that’s good enough. At TruTechnologies, real time means what it says.

LET'S GET REAL

The illusion of "real-time" data in clinical trials.

01

The flawed industry standard

In the clinical trial space, "real-time" data capture typically means the moment a clinical research coordinator finally has the bandwidth to transcribe collected data into an electronic system.

02

A software metric, not a clinical one

The industry shift to Electronic Data Capture meant "real time" became synonymous with the moment a coordinator clicked "Save" — even if the data was transcribed from weeks-old paper binders.

03

The context gap

Because information is entered after the visit, it only reflects final data points without preserving the operational context behind them: what happened, when, and whether anything went off track.

"Database lock timelines still exceed 60 days because leading clinical trial technologies, utilized in nearly every clinical trial, fail to address the operational problems causing inaccurate and thereby potentially misleading data."

-ADDRESSING THE EXECUTION TRANSLATION GAP IN CLINICAL TRIALS. TUFTS CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF DRUG DEVELOPMENT, MAY 2026.
AFTER THE FACT

The reconciliation trap.

01

Disconnected data points

Traditional “real-time” systems merely log entered data, forcing study teams to work backward and connect disparate data points to how the visit was actually executed.

02

Retrospective detective work

Clinical visits do not always unfold as planned. When data reaches study teams without visit context, sites are left fielding emails from monitors to untangle deviations and reconcile the record.

03

The verdict

If you are spending time reconciling data after the visit has concluded, your "real-time" data is already obsolete.

What is Live Data Capture?

At the point of care

Live data means capturing source data from the visit and the execution details behind it: when protocol-required activities happened, who completed them, and whether each step stayed within protocol.

Validating the action, not just the record

Instead of waiting for a coordinator to document an event after the fact, live data validates the visit activity as it happens, creating a proactive safeguard rather than a reactive record.

The live-stream effect

The visit is essentially live-streamed from the site to the study team, giving teams a live operational signal while protocol-critical work is still underway.

Today's "real time"
Live data capture
When visibility starts
After data is entered
As protocol-required steps happen
Integrity model
Manual verification  against source
Source data captured during the visit
Audit trail
Entry and change history
Action history with time & attribution
Error handling
Reactive queries after entry
Proactive guardrails at point of care
Site burden
High from transcription & follow-up
Low from scanning & auto-population

The two critical pillars of live data.

High-fidelity source data

Creating electronic source records at the point of care strengthens data integrity from the start, supporting ALCOA+ principles with time, attribution, and auditability built in.

Full context of events

As data is collected, the study team can see the context behind it, from the exact timing of a PK draw to required handling conditions.

Proactive course correction vs. retrospective remediation.

Intervene during the visit

Because live data streams visit context as it happens, sponsors can see when something needs attention and support the site while there is still time to act.

Built-in hard stops

A mobile-first workflow can prevent an out-of-protocol action before it happens. For example, it can alert site staff when a sample should not be collected based on the patient’s weight at that visit.

Prevent the detective work

When an issue is visible while the visit is still underway, teams can address it in the moment instead of opening a days-later email thread to reconstruct what happened.

Live Data Capture is the new clinical standard in the world of AI.

The FDA's AI and real-time data push. The FDA has officially signaled a new era for clinical development by announcing pilot programs to explore AI-enabled optimization and the real-time review of clinical trial data to accelerate the drug approval process.

Read our full breakdown of the FDA's new RFI to discover why the Agency is prioritizing high-quality foundational data, and learn how embracing operational signal integrity is the key to executing successful, trustworthy AI initiatives.

View the FDA RFI →

Ready to transform your trial's operational signal integrity?

Stop waiting for data to become electronic. Start capturing the action.

See Live Data Capture in action