As we celebrate Earth Day this year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how innovation isn’t just improving lives—it’s helping protect our planet. At Florence Healthcare, we believe in powering clinical research that’s not only faster and more patient-centric, but also more sustainable. And as it turns out, digitizing clinical trials has a massive environmental upside.
Here’s how modern technology is transforming clinical trials into a force for good—both for patients and for the Earth.
📄 Saying Goodbye to Paper, and Hello to Trees
The traditional clinical trial is a paperwork-heavy operation. Think thousands of consent forms, regulatory binders, and logs—all printed, shipped, and stored. This paper-driven model isn’t just inefficient—it’s a contributor to deforestation and carbon emissions.
With Florence’s Site Enablement Platform, study teams digitize investigator files, consent forms, and communication workflows. In a typical five-year, Phase III trial, this paperless approach cuts CO₂ emissions by 15.49 tons—that’s the equivalent of saving over 370,000 sheets of paper from being printed, shipped, and eventually discarded
✈️ Monitoring Without Miles: Reducing CRA Travel
Clinical Research Associates (CRAs) spend 60% of their time traveling to sites for monitoring. While essential, these visits contribute significantly to carbon emissions—especially when they involve cross-country flights and hotel stays.
Site Enablement Platforms enable remote monitoring, reducing on-site visits by 50%, and cutting emissions from travel by 220.14 tons of CO₂e over a five-year trial. That’s like taking over 50 cars off the road for an entire year.
🧪 Smarter Supply Chains: Just-in-Time Inventory Control
Digitally connected sites and centralized trial management allow sponsors and CROs to implement just-in-time (JIT) inventory practices for lab kits and pharmacy supplies. By shipping only what’s needed, when it’s needed, we avoid the waste that comes from expired or unused materials. This not only saves money but prevents unnecessary emissions from overproduction and shipping.
While exact figures vary by trial, sites using Florence’s platform report significant reductions in waste, thanks to increased visibility and coordination across the supply chain.
🚗 Bringing Trials Closer to Patients
70% of patients in the U.S. live more than two hours from a research center. That’s a barrier to access—and a burden on the environment. By enabling the activation of community clinics, pharmacies, and primary care sites as “Frontier Sites,” Florence’s platform helps locate research closer to where people live.
This not only reduces patient travel emissions but also improves recruitment and retention. It’s a win-win: trials are more inclusive, and the planet breathes a little easier.
🌱 Better for Patients. Better for the Planet.
When you add it all up, adopting a Site Enablement Platform can reduce a trial’s carbon footprint by 37.4%. But it’s not just about the numbers—it’s about a new mindset. Clinical trials don’t have to come at a cost to the planet. By embracing digital-first workflows, we can create a research ecosystem that’s faster, more equitable, and environmentally responsible.
This Earth Day, we’re proud to stand at the intersection of science, technology, and sustainability. Because innovation shouldn’t just heal—it should also help.
Happy Earth Day from all of us at Florence Healthcare. 🌍
Let’s build a future where clinical research cures more than disease. Let’s cure inefficiency, waste, and emissions—together.