Through the Ride Health platform, a study coordinator can request rides on behalf of participants. (Ride Health)
Access to private transportation, or lack thereof, has long been a barrier to participation in clinical trials. And COVID-19 isn’t making things easier, with public health guidelines discouraging the use of public transport and ride-hailing services setting up policies against passengers with COVID-19 symptoms.
So, how are institutions running COVID-19 trials getting patients in for site visits? New York-based Ride Health is on the job.
The company is partnering with ACTIV-2, a study backed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) testing treatments for COVID-19, and the NIH-founded COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network (CoVPN), the “harmonizer” network for the five vaccine trials backed by Operation Warp Speed. It will provide transportation to and from study sites for participants through its network of COVID-19-equipped providers. That means all drivers