How to Improve the Clinical Trial Recruitment Experience for Patients

Finding patients who may be interested in your trial is often a difficult part of the clinical trial patient recruitment process. Once you have an interested patient, creating a positive experience and a seamless patient journey are both critical components to ensure they take the next step in determining their eligibility for your trial. 

When creating your recruitment plan, have your study team think through the entire patient journey, including what happens after someone clicks on your digital ad or finds your study another way. Factor in how your team will respond to questions, guide patients toward the next step (an online pre-screener, perhaps), and help them understand the trial opportunity. When you consider the patient at every step, you’ll also set up your trial for better retention rates.

Use patient-centric language that potential participants  understand and connect with.

When creating your outreach materials, avoid using overly complicated language or complex medical terminology that may confuse patients.

“When patients check out your clinical trial details, the goal is for them to instantly figure out if it’s the right fit for them and what to do next if they’re both interested and qualified,” says Sean Irvine, Senior Manager of Digital Marketing at Antidote. “Breaking down the trial’s requirements in easy-to-understand, patient-first language helps them quickly determine if they meet the criteria without any guesswork.”

Read message boards and blogs to develop an understanding of how patients talk about their condition. Combine engaging language with images that reflect your patient population as well. Try condition-related images that resonate with patients. For example, an image of an asthma patient using an inhaler may quickly connect with patients and begin to communicate your ad is for an asthma study.

Share information that matters to patients.

Think from the patient's perspective when you create outreach materials. What are the benefits to the patient if they join your trial? What information would help them make their decision? The same research you conducted to find out how patients talk about their condition can help here too.

In addition to understanding the benefits of participation, patients are also interested in knowing the basic logistics of taking part, such as the location of the site, the time commitment required, and the goals of the trial. Do some testing to see what patients respond to by including that information in your ads or on the study landing page for your ads to help patients understand whether a trial may be right for them.

Guide patients to the next step.

After a patient clicks on your ad, make it clear what action they should take next.

"Patients are busy, and their attention is precious," says Irvine. "The way you present your call-to-action can mean the difference between a patient registering for your trial or turning their attention to another competing study."

After clicking on one of your ads, you may direct potential participants to study-specific questions on a pre-screener, or have them call a site near them to learn more. Either way, guide patients through the next steps in their journey with clear calls to action. Use prominent buttons, bold font, or other signals, and prioritize the actions a patient can take on a page or email. For example, if you're emailing patients in your database, give them one website to visit or one number to call.

Follow up as soon as you can.

After a patient has initially pre-qualified for your trial, secondary pre-screening through a clinical trial recruitment company’s screening service or referring the patient to a local site for direct follow-up is often the next step. Calling or emailing patients within a few hours of receiving their contact information to ask additional questions or to set up a site visit is important to reach them while their interest in participating is still high. Have a system in place to call and email patients a certain number of times, too – don't give up after one attempt. For more tips, check out our patient outreach guide for sites, with additional guidance on the right messaging for reaching out.

Answer questions on all channels.

If you're running Facebook ads, sending emails, or using another advertising channel with two-way communication, make sure you have a staff member on hand to respond to questions. Patient questions can also help highlight any gaps in your communication that may be confusing. Staying on top of comments also gives you the chance to remove spam and any misleading or offensive comments, particularly on Facebook where comments can be visible.

Looking for more ideas on how to connect with patients? Download our free patient recruitment template for tips on putting together an engaging plan.