Community Connections: Leveraging Localized Patient Access In Clinical Trials For Better Representation, Improved Retention, And Higher Data Quality

This roundtable brings together experts from Pfizer, Bayer, Parexel, EmVenio Clinical Research, and the Clinical Research Justice League to discuss how expanding community-based research can transform clinical trial recruitment and representation.

Improving access to clinical studies and ensuring diverse participation remain two of the industry’s most urgent goals. Although sponsors have experimented with a variety of recruitment and retention strategies, success has been inconsistent, and many trials still struggle to attract participants who reflect real-world patient populations.

Engaging local research sites and community healthcare settings presents a powerful opportunity to close these gaps. By meeting patients where they are — both geographically and culturally — trial sponsors can reduce barriers to participation, foster greater trust, and generate data that more accurately represent the populations affected by disease.

During the discussion, panelists outlined how community-based research models can help identify and enroll the right participants, improve data reliability, streamline timelines, reduce costs, and embed regulatory rigor into study operations from the start. Together, these approaches point to a more inclusive and efficient future for clinical development.