Interesting Virtual World News: 3D training for Clinical Trials

ProtonMedia and PPD, Inc. just announced an entire new way of  conducting training for clinical trials using virtual worlds as the backbone of the solution. Interesting development as the healthcare space seems to be a large mover in 3D virtual worlds and immersive environments.

Here is the release below.

ProtonMedia and PPD to Introduce New Virtual Clinical Trial Training Solution

PPD will showcase ProtonMedia’s ProtoSphere at the 20^th Annual Partnerships in Clinical Trials Conference on March 30-April 1

LANSDALE, Pa., and WILMINGTON, N.C.—March 30, 2011—ProtonMedia and PPD, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPDI) today announced they have entered into an agreement to jointly develop a new virtual clinical trial training solution that will improve the cost effectiveness, speed and quality of clinical trial training for life sciences organizations.

The solution will integrate ProtonMedia’s ProtoSphere virtual collaboration environment with PPD^® Adaptive Solutions, PPD’s innovative suite of data and information technology solutions. The combination will be a virtual collaborative environment built around PPD’s customizable, flexible and integrated technology solutions to advance clinical research programs. PPD will showcase ProtoSphere to its client base at the 20^th Annual Partnerships in Clinical Trials conference being held March 30 to April 1 in Phoenix, Ariz.

“A crucial step to enhancing the quality of site management and clinical monitoring  is to improve the way we train clinical research associates to monitor clinical trials,” said Mike Wilkinson, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief information officer for PPD. “ProtonMedia is the ideal virtual collaboration technology provider because of ProtoSphere’s strong ability to integrate rapidly with our solutions, and ProtonMedia’s commitment to Microsoft Corp. technologies, which are pervasive across life sciences companies today.”

ProtoSphere is the only virtual collaboration environment built with Microsoft technology and is one of the leading virtual collaboration environments in the area of life sciences.

“Nearly every life sciences organization is re-evaluating their clinical trial training processes, looking for better ways to reduce costs and meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements,” says Ron Burns, CEO of ProtonMedia. “Working with PPD, we will be able to help address some of these tremendous pain points facing the life sciences industry.”

“This partnership between ProtonMedia and PPD is an example of two organizations coming together in a way that has great synergy for Microsoft’s Life Sciences customers,” says Les Jordan, chief technology strategist, Microsoft Life Sciences. “The integration of ProtoSphere and PPD Adaptive Solutions will help to deliver a positive impact to life sciences organizations seeking to create a more collaborative and cost-effective R&D framework.”

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As this relationship and product unfolds, it will be fascinating to see how traditional clinical trial training will be transformed by the use of virtual immersive environments.

I’m trying to get some screen shots and stuff so we can check it out, I’ll keep you posted.