Designing Recruitment For Complexity: Capabilities That Deliver In Today's Trial Landscape

By Jenna Phillips

Clinical trials are growing increasingly complex, driven by more demanding protocols, decentralized research models, global patient reach, advanced statistical designs, diverse data sources, and heightened regulatory and sustainability expectations. This rising complexity is reshaping how sponsors design studies and recruit participants who meet increasingly stringent inclusion criteria.

Historically, patient recruitment relied on a limited set of capabilities — such as consumer marketing for high-incidence conditions or data analytics to identify rare-disease populations within large datasets. However, as trial designs and operational demands evolve, a broader and more integrated set of recruitment capabilities is now essential.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and data technologies are leading enablers, but successful organizations also prioritize the experiences of external stakeholders — sites, patients, and healthcare professionals — while optimizing internal operational workflows. This dual focus enhances both efficiency and engagement across the trial ecosystem.

Drawing on extensive experience with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors, this paper identifies four core capabilities that drive high-quality patient recruitment outcomes. It also offers practical strategies for clinical operations leaders to strengthen recruitment performance without increasing vendor complexity, helping organizations adapt to a rapidly evolving and competitive clinical research environment.