Traditional methods of utilizing pre-loaded credit cards as a method of preventing out of pocket expense for the patients, while convenient, can take control of expenses away from the sponsor.

EQ favours a direct bill approach to patient expenses, wherever possible, when it comes to clinical trials. Air or rail tickets, hotel accommodations and extras (if permitted) and ground transportation vendors can all be directly billed to the TMC, leaving a patient only paying for incidentals, such as gas, parking, tolls, and so forth. Wire transfers/electronic payments make the reimbursement of out of pocket expense very fast.  Effective payment methods combined with study specific expense guidelines make for no grey areas where reimbursements are concerned.  Spelling out the travel and expense policy as part of the patient enrolment process also ensures patients are fully aware of the T&E commitment as well as the scientific one.

This service takes the administrative burden away from the CRO. CROs have embraced these services since they became available, as they not only take care of the handling of subject reimbursement, but it also saves them having to deal with potential tax issues with managing expenses. In many countries, there are tax implications in terms of sponsors sending money to CROs to reimburse participants’ cash payments. A TMC can ensure that the subjects are the first and only recipients of the payments, which are sent straight to their bank account by electronic transfer. The expense report is then desensitised and sent directly (electronically) to the sponsor.

Benefits at a Glance
• Rapid reimbursement of expenses
• Expenses billed directly to the TMC
• Meticulous expense reports
• A high level of confidentiality