Five Steps To Improve Patient Engagement And Drive Better Outcomes In Clinical Trials

In order to have a successful clinical trial, researchers must recruit—and retain—patients. This is a struggle that researchers know well; only 1 in 20 patients who respond to a recruitment promotion complete the study, with only 1 in 5 showing up for initial screening.

Many companies are rethinking the way they attract and engage patients in an attempt to optimize outcomes in decentralized clinical trials (DCTs). In a recent webinar, Andy Lipetz, Sr. Director of CRO Partnerships at Castor[1] [2] , Steve Wimmer, Director of Partnerships at 1nHealth and Kamalia Sazali, Senior Product Manager at ObvioHealth, discussed how to better engage patients for better outcomes in DCTs.

About decentralized clinical trials

Historically, traditional clinical trials’ on-site participation requirement has created an access barrier for many who don’t have transportation, childcare, or who otherwise cannot travel to trial sites. The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that this type of clinical trial was not as sustainable as it was in the past.

“There was a vision for fully decentralized trials, and during the pandemic, it was necessary for patients to participate in a trial from anywhere,” Lipetz explained. “The vast majority of trials now are taking a hybrid or decentralized approach.”