Watch the Replay: The RealTime Keynote – The Next Chapter of eSource
Every coordinator knows the drill: collect the data once, type it again, fix the errors, and reconcile the queries. It’s a burden that has never truly been solved – eSource to EDC. And for decades, clinical research has accepted the contradiction of collecting data via eSource, then reentering the data into EDC. Manually. Every time. Until now.
During The Next Chapter of eSource, RealTime’s product experts revealed eSource innovations that fundamentally change site operations. Headlined by EDC Connect, the first standards-based pathway to eliminate duplicate data entry between eSource and EDC and eSourceOne, a Phase 1 clinic automation solution. These new eSource capabilities usher in a game-changing shift in how clinical data will move across systems, sites, trials, and sponsors. Here is a complete summary of what was announced.
Speakers:
- Rick Greenfield, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, RealTime
- Keith Howells, Executive Vice President of Product Management, RealTime
- Nathan Levens, Vice President of Product Strategy and Head of Quality, RealTime
A Long-Standing Industry Problem, Finally Solved with EDC Connect: The End of Duplicate Data Entry
As Rick Greenfield opened the keynote, he named the question sites have been asking since the earliest days of eSource:
“Will my eSource data flow automatically into EDC?”
For years, the answer was no. That’s why RealTime is pleased to introduce a new solution that bridges the gap between eSource to EDC – EDC Connect, the breakthrough the industry has waited for.
EDC Connect enables data collected in RealTime-eSource to flow directly into any EDC system that supports the CDISC ODM standard. This covers about 95% of all major EDCs including:
- Medidata Rave
- Oracle InForm
- TrialMaster
- Viaduct
How it Works
EDC Connect works by mapping eSource data to EDC fields. Once those fields are mapped, any data collected during a study can be transferred back to the EDC in a matter of minutes. This effectively eliminates the majority of data transcription.
- Sponsor provides a standard ODM metadata file
- RealTime users map it once during study build
- RealTime automatically generates ODM patient-level data files
- Sites upload the file into the sponsor’s EDC
Furthermore, RealTime’s QC tools ensure mappings are correct and consistent across forms, visits, and variables, even when eSource and EDC designs are completely different.
The Impact for Sites
No duplicate typing. No double work. No more transcription errors.
- Dozens of hours saved per study
- Major reduction in data transcription errors
- Faster database locks
- Cleaner source-to-EDC data
- More time for patient care, recruitment, and oversight
The Impact for Sponsors
Keith Howells highlighted what many sites feel but rarely hear articulated: Sponsors invest heavily in their own systems, but historically, site technology has been invisible to them.
COVID began to change that through remote Source Data Verification (SDV). EDC Connect pushes that shift further. For the first time, site technology meaningfully benefits sponsors:
- Cleaner data
- Faster timelines
- Fewer queries
- Reduced reconciliation
- Earlier database locks
The Data Behind EDC Connect
According to the 2025 RealTime Reports: eSource ROI Survey Summary:
- 68% of sites still experience transcription errors during source-to-EDC entry
- Many visits require 20+ minutes of duplicate entry, and some exceed 1 hour
“To put that into perspective, if you have 20 subjects with 10 visits each, that’s 200 visits times 20 minutes or more. We’re talking about dozens of hours of work that could be better used seeing more patients or maybe even improving patient safety oversight with your PI.”
EDC Connect directly attacks this inefficiency, improving both site productivity and sponsor data timelines.
Beyond EDC Connect: New Innovations Across RealTime-eSource
The keynote also introduced an entire slate of new eSource capabilities, each designed to unlock the next era of digital data collection for research sites.
1. eSource Translations — Now Supporting 20+ Languages
The eSource translations feature is flexible enough to support multinational trials, regional requirements, and diverse patient-facing workflows. For global research, RealTime-eSource now enables:
- Forms built once in English
- Translated instantly for each site or user
- Automatic localization
- Full support for multi-byte alphabets (Japanese, Chinese, Eastern European languages, etc.)
“You simply build your forms in English, and then you upload a translation file. At that point, the system will automatically translate your eSource forms based on site and user preference.”
2. Advanced Edit Checks — Now Across Forms, Visits, and Periods
RealTime has dramatically expanded eSource edit check capabilities to ensure cleaner data, fewer deviations, and higher protocol adherence:
- Time-dependent rules
- Cross-visit logic
- Dynamic field display
- Multi-form dependencies
- Complex PK/PD timing windows
- Deviation-reducing guardrails
Use case examples:
- “Vital signs must be collected 30 minutes after dosing.”
- “If female and pregnant at Visit 1, require pregnancy test at Visit 2.”
- “Trigger specific PK collection windows based on dose time.”
3. Phase 1 Clinic Automation — A First-in-Industry Capability
Phase 1 clinics require choreographed precision, often down to ±2 minutes, and RealTime is now the first eSource to truly support that level of complexity. Coming soon, RealTime will launch eSourceOne to support the complexities faced by Phase 1 clinics. Key capabilities of eSourceOne include:
- Group procedure schedules. Plan minute-by-minute procedures across all subjects.
- Staggering subjects. Prevent overlapping doses or procedures.
- Backup subject management. Instantly swap in replacements without disrupting the schedule.
- Subject-specific and tech-specific schedules. Printed or digital with clear instructions.
- Instant procedure launching through QR codes. Simply scan, access the exact procedure, and enter data immediately with zero extra clicks.
- Commeds dispensation and tracking. Safeguard that subjects never miss required medications.
“RealTime will have the only eSource platform capable of automating your Phase 1 clinic and running your late phase trials. No other system can do that.”
A Fully Connected, Site-Centered Ecosystem
Ultimately, the next era of clinical research belongs to connected systems, not siloed ones. RealTime’s vision is not just better eSource. It’s an integrated, centralized system for site operations with:
- CTMS
- eSource + EDC Connect
- eReg/eISF
- Engage!
- Pay
- Text
- Devana
…all working together as part of RealTime’s broader Site Operations Management System (SOMS). This is the foundation of the eClinical command center, and the future sites have been waiting for.
Final Thoughts
The future of clinical data collection is finally catching up to the realities of modern research. With EDC Connect, eSourceOne, and the expanded eSource ecosystem, RealTime is removing long-standing operational barriers and creating a unified, standards-driven workflow that benefits sites and sponsors alike.
What was once manual, fragmented, and error-prone is becoming automated, connected, and intelligently orchestrated.
For sites, this means fewer burdens. For sponsors, faster timelines and cleaner data. For patients, better care.
This is the moment where site technology stops working around sponsor systems and finally works with them. If you’re not yet a RealTime customer, or if RealTime-eSource opens new possibilities for your organization, now is the moment to explore.
The next chapter has begun. We invite you to be part of it.
Talk to an expert to see the platform in action.
Read More: Inside the 2025 eSource RealTime Report: Why Manual Data Entry Is Now the Industry’s Weakest Link