The Trials Of Trial Discovery: How Physicians Find, Evaluate, And Communicate Clinical Trial Information

By Francine Lane

Eighty-five percent of clinical trials miss their enrollment targets, and every day of delay can cost an estimated $500,000. Yet the physicians best positioned to fill those trials often can't find them. Surveyed physicians found that most had actively searched for trial information on behalf of their patients, but ran into a fragmented landscape: unclear eligibility descriptions, inconsistent details across sources, and limited visibility into studies outside their own institutions. Patients want physicians to guide them toward trials, but incomplete or confusing information frequently stops physicians from making a referral they would otherwise pursue.

The findings point to specific, fixable gaps. Physicians search fast — most give up within 15 minutes — so trial listings need to surface the right details immediately: precise condition names paired with plain-language equivalents, eligibility criteria stated clearly up front, and status updates that stay accurate across every platform. For anyone trying to close the distance between eligible patients and open trials, the real obstacle isn't a shortage of information — it's making the information that already exists easier to find, trust, and act on in the narrow window when a referral decision actually gets made.