How to save time with a clinical trial recruitment plan template
Clinical trial patient recruitment is a time-consuming, expensive, and critical part of getting a new trial off the ground. While the idea of spending more time creating a detailed plan in advance may not sound particularly appealing, using a template can actually speed up recruitment timelines in the long run.
Using a clinical trial recruitment plan template can keep the process organized when researching patient populations, listing potential benefits, and drafting outreach copy. Planning for all these elements allows for the identification of potential pitfalls and difficulties during the recruitment process. Read on to learn how:
Using a clinical trial recruitment plan template
Anticipate challenges to recruitment efforts
Researching the patient population is the first step in creating a successful outreach campaign, and it can be helpful when identifying potential blockers to recruitment. Are there inclusion or exclusion criteria that will be particularly challenging to target? How aware is the patient population of clinical research? How do symptoms affect patients' daily life? Will they have physical difficulties getting to a site? Knowing challenges in advance can help create backup plans to deal with issues as they arise, rather than being caught off guard during a campaign.
Decide on tests campaign tests in advance
When optimizing digital outreach or other approaches, the factors to optimize for will change throughout the campaign. For example, an ad's success may initially be based on how many clicks it receives, but once there is data on how patients are converting, it may be best to promote the ad with the highest rate of patients who consent to the trial.
Because materials must be submitted to an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the trial launches, it's helpful to plan for variations in ad copy to test throughout the campaign. By planning out messaging and targeting tests in advance, all the campaign materials will be approved and ready to use whenever they are needed during the campaign.
Get feedback from partners and patients to improve outreach
When recruitment approaches are planned out in advance, there will be more time to seek feedback from sources who can help the fine-tuning of the strategy. After drafting a few language options for specific outreach channels, consider consulting with patient advocates, nonprofit organizations, or doctors who specialize in the condition for additional help on how to reach patients. These groups may offer unique insight into the relationship a patient population has with clinical research, as well as common challenges they deal with and what trial positioning is likely to resonate.
Save time with IRB submission
When there is enough time to thoroughly proofread outreach materials and confirm they adhere to clinical trial advertising guidelines, it can alleviate many of the back-and-forth edits from the IRB. By planning out targeting approaches in advance, it's also possible to double-check that the language speaks to the different target audience groups and benefits you would like to address.
Ready to start planning out your next campaign? Download our free clinical trial recruitment plan template below.
