Rethinking Recruitment: Patient-Centric Strategies For The Future Of Clinical Trials

For sponsors and CROs, the message is clear: recruitment must be redesigned for accessibility, inclusivity, and patient trust. By embracing digital-first, patient-centered models, trial teams can accelerate timelines, reduce dropout rates, and strengthen engagement. In an era where participation is always voluntary, making clinical trials easier and more rewarding for patients is no longer optional—it is the key to research that succeeds.

Traditional, site-based recruitment methods—relying on clinic referrals, local advertising, and frequent in-person visits—can no longer meet patient expectations. Today’s participants value convenience, flexibility, and transparency, and they expect digital options that fit naturally into their lives. This piece explores how recruitment strategies must evolve to remain patient-centric while also delivering operational success and the demand for decentralized clinical trials (DCTs). Digital tools lower barriers to participation, while remote monitoring, e-diaries, and wearables reduce daily burden and improve retention. Real-world data from recent Phase II and III studies show these methods not only shorten enrollment timelines and lower screen-failure rates but also enable more diverse and representative patient populations.