Empowering Oncology Patients: Recruitment And Retention Strategies For Optimizing Study Outcomes

By Ashley Herrick and Nicole Carswell

During the initial planning for clinical trial implementation, intense focus is placed on strategies for patient recruitment, while strategies for patient engagement and retention are often left until after the treatment phase. However, with many current protocol designs in oncology, trial endpoints require study participants to be followed for years to evaluate side effects and obtain long-term survival rates. Patients who are not adequately engaged are unlikely to complete this long-term follow-up, even if they manage to stay throughout the treatment phase of the trial.

Oftentimes, protocol amendments may be needed to change assessments to increase retention. Having to replace patients adds cost, delays study timelines, and may even adversely impact submission goals due to inadequate data. Moreover, patients who drop out early or fail to complete the study may view clinical trial participation as a negative experience, thereby reducing their likelihood of participating in future clinical trials.

Developing and implementing strategies for both recruitment and retention at the beginning of a trial can help to optimize study outcomes. In this blog post, we offer strategies for sponsors to consider during the study planning process to maximize patient engagement and retention.