DhatuPay | Simplify Payments for Global Clinical Trials

Smit Shah

09 December 2025

Clinical trials involve many stakeholders: patients/participants, investigators, vendors, labs — payments to each may differ in type, frequency, and compliance requirements.
Traditional payment methods (manual invoices, checks, paper forms) cause delays, errors, administrative overhead.
Need for traceability, audit trails, compliance (especially with consent, regulatory requirements) — demands high security and transparency.

Digital signature integration: for consent forms, approvals, consent documents — ensures authenticity & audit trail.
Multiple payment options: bank transfer, e-wallets, instant payments — flexibility for patients, vendors, sites.
Secure data management: encryption, tokenization, compliance with data-privacy requirements.
Automated billing and reminders, periodic disbursements, recurring payments, reimbursement workflows.
Transparent dashboards & reporting (for sites, sponsors, patients) — payment history, status, receipts.
Audit logs & compliance support: who signed what, when; timestamp, version-control, legal compliance (especially for consent / regulatory documents).
User-friendly interface for non-technical users (patients, sites, investigators).
Scalability and flexibility: able to handle many participants / payments across geographies.

Reduced administrative burden: less paperwork, fewer manual tasks, automated workflows.
Faster payments and reimbursements, improving participant satisfaction and trust.
Better compliance and auditability — essential in regulated clinical research.
Centralized payment management — easier for sponsors, CROs, sites to track payments, expenses, reporting.
Improved transparency — participants see payment status; reduces disputes or confusion.

Regulatory and privacy compliance (especially patient data, consent forms) — must ensure standards are met.
Security risks: need strong encryption, fraud protection, secure authentication.
Integration with existing trial-management systems, EHRs, data capture systems, accounting systems.
User adoption: patients, site staff may be wary — need clear UX and support.
Handling multiple payment methods and cross-border / multi-currency (if applicable).

Define requirements: stakeholder types (patients, vendors, sites), payment flows, frequency, compliance needs.
Choose/payment gateway & signature provider: integrate digital signature + payment gateway + secure backend.
Data architecture & security: encryption, tokenization, audit trails, secure storage.
Build user interface: for patients (easy payments), site staff (payment management), admin dashboards.
Compliance & legal: data privacy, audit trails, consent & record-keeping, local/regional regulations.
Testing & validation: payment flows, security testing, user testing, edge cases (refund, failed payments, disputes).
Launch & monitoring: track transactions, logs, user feedback, continuous security updates.

Show how combining digital signatures (for consent, documents) and digital payments (for reimbursements, payments) creates a streamlined, secure, fully-digital workflow.
This reduces delays, administrative burden, human error, and improves compliance — especially valuable for large / multi-site clinical trials.

Emphasize that in modern clinical research, a dedicated payment platform with digital signature + payment + audit features is no longer a luxury — it's a necessity.
Encourage sponsors / CROs / trial-managers to evaluate their payments process and consider building or adopting such a platform.

Why Clinical Trial Portals Need a One-Stop Payment Platform