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70% of MedAvante’s Expert Centralized Raters have PhDs in clinical psychology or social work. All other expert raters are highly qualified and experienced Master’s level mental health professionals vetted by sponsors.

"Regarding the general matter of remote centralized ratings, we have no objection to this practice, and agree that this should increase the precision of assessments in a trial."

Thomas P. Laughren MD, Team Leader, Psychopharmacology FDA

Key Statistics

*MedAvante’s Centralized Expert Rater ICCs by Scale:**
HAMD 17:	.93
HAMA:	.91
MADRS:	.94
PANSS: independent interviews observed interviews	.86 .90
Atypical Symptoms of Depression :	.95

* with the exception of the PANSS observed interviews by a gold standard Expert Trainer, all ICCs achieved using a stringent approach: independent interviews, i.e. each MedAvante Expert Rater rated the patient independently, blind to the other rater's interview and scores. This compares with ICCs traditionally being established using the less rigorous approach of rating videos. Traditional passive observation and scoring of video-tapes artificially inflates ICCs due to lack of information variance. Estimates of ICC for site based raters range from .6 to .7. When ICC drops from .90 to .70, studies require 22% more subjects and power drops from .72 to .50.

Centralized Expert Ratings Services

MedAvante's Centralized Expert Ratings Services is a unique service based on the recognition that assessments are the most important component of the clinical trial, establishing the foundation upon which the entire study rests. MedAvante's method improves signal detection for CNS trials by centralizing psychometric assessments in the hands of fewer expert raters via high resolution video-conferencing and telephone. Centralizing the assessments increases the accuracy, reliability and quality of the psychiatric diagnostic and symptom assessments. This can:

Reduce variability by reducing the sheer number of raters required for a study.
Reduce inappropriate patient enrollment due to misaligned incentives, because the raters are not associated with the investigative site.
Reduce expectancy bias because remote assessors can be blinded to study protocols and visit sequence.
Improve inter-rater reliability and interview quality by using highly trained and finely calibrated expert raters.

Overall, reducing inter-rater variability increases a study's power to detect a difference between the drug and the placebo. The net effect:

MedAvante's Centralized Expert Ratings Services provide pharmaceutical companies with faster, more certain decision making regarding CNS drugs.