Appendix q — Data Storage Costs for Decentralized Clinical Trials
Data Storage Costs for Decentralized Clinical Trials
Storage Requirements Per Patient
Basic Data Components
Cost Analysis
Infrastructure Costs (Per Patient/Month)
| Component | Estimated Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Raw Storage | $0.02 | Based on standard cloud storage rates |
| Compute/API | $0.20 | For data processing and access |
| Database | $0.30 | For structured data storage |
| Backup/Redundancy | $0.20 | For data safety and compliance |
| Total | $0.72 | Per patient/month |
Cost Comparisons
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs): 1-2GB per patient
- Google Workspace: $12/user/month (includes many additional services)
- Medical imaging platforms: 100s of GB per patient
Why Costs Are Lower Than Traditional Platforms
- Focused use case with optimized data types
- No need for collaboration tools or email storage
- Efficient data structures for clinical trial data
- Economies of scale with increased adoption
Additional Considerations
Fixed Costs
- Security and compliance infrastructure
- Data validation systems
- API management
- Development and maintenance
Cost Optimization Strategies
- Implement efficient data compression
- Use tiered storage for older/less accessed data
- Optimize image and continuous monitoring data storage
- Leverage serverless computing for cost-effective scaling
Scaling Benefits
- Fixed costs decrease per patient as platform grows
- Bulk storage rates improve with volume
- Automated systems become more cost-effective at scale
Conclusion
The actual per-patient storage cost ($0.72/month) is significantly lower than traditional systems due to focused use case, modern cloud infrastructure, and optimization for clinical trial data. This enables a cost-effective decentralized platform that can scale efficiently while maintaining high data quality and compliance standards.