| Providing sites with the communication tools to engage and retain patients is crucial contend Janet Jones at Kendle and Val Lyness at ICR, as they explore holistic approaches to patient-centric recruitment and retention
“What’s in it for me?” Nine times out of 10, it’s the first thing a patient will think about when considering whether or not to participate in a clinical study. As an industry, we’re well aware of this, but are we giving patients the right answers? Are we approaching patient recruitment and retention in the best way possible?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SITE’S DATABASE IS EXHAUSTED?
There are several steps that can be considered when a site’s database has become exhausted, such as referrals from colleagues, the involvement of advocacy or patient support groups, community outreach with flyers and mailings and direct-to-patient communications. Recruitment planning needs to be considered at several levels ranging from providing siteby- site recruitment plans through to conducting a full directto- patient media campaign.
Sites need to be encouraged to start thinking about the next contingency plan early in the process, not when the failure to recruit has become a major issue. CRAs and the project team can help the sites to develop specific recruitment plans, and to constantly think about the next step and how to overcome recruitment barriers. |
