Patient recruitment is one of the most critical and challenging aspects of clinical trials. With up to 80% of trials experiencing delays due to recruitment issues, sites and site networks must adopt strategies and tools to reach, engage, and enroll participants. Purpose-built eClinical solutions are game changers in improving recruitment outcomes. In this guide, we’ll unpack how your site can improve patient recruitment in clinical trials using tools and strategies that work.
1. Build Trust Through Community Engagement
Connecting with local communities fosters trust and encourages participation, particularly among underrepresented populations. Many communities have historically been excluded from clinical research, leading to skepticism and a lack of awareness about available opportunities. Active engagement and transparency help break down these barriers and create meaningful relationships with potential participants.
Tools That Work
Event management platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup simplify the organization of local educational events and outreach activities.
Strategy in Action
Establishing research sites in underserved areas makes participation more accessible by removing logistical barriers. Community-based trial locations within local hospitals, churches, YMCAs, and neighborhood clinics create a familiar and convenient environment for potential participants. Partnering with trusted local stakeholders – such as government officials, healthcare organizations, patient advocacy groups, and religious leaders – helps build credibility and ensures information about clinical trials reaches those who might otherwise be unaware of these opportunities.
To increase awareness, clinical research should integrate seamlessly into everyday community activities. Consider hosting free health screenings at local events, participating in food drives, health fairs, neighborhood gatherings. Altogether, these venues help educate potential participants in familiar settings and can ultimately foster increased trust and engagement.
2. Targeted Digital Marketing and Outreach
Successful patient recruitment starts with reaching the right audience. A well-executed digital marketing strategy ensures diverse participant engagement, increases awareness, and improves enrollment outcomes.
Tools That Work
- Social Media Advertising: Leverage platforms like Facebook Ads and Google Ads to precisely target potential participants based on demographics, location, and health conditions.
- Patient Recruitment Platforms: Purpose-built eClinical solutions, like a Clinical Trial Management Systm (CTMS), can help grow your patient database with integrations for your website and Facebook ads, to streamline recruitment efforts.
- Email & SMS Outreach: Engage participants directly with an email platform, like Mailchimp, for email campaigns and an SMS platform like RealTime-Text, for mass texting tailored to each study.
Strategy in Action
Maximize recruitment success with CTMS-integrated Facebook campaigns featuring messaging tailored to specific communities. By addressing common concerns such as safety, time commitment, and study expectations, sites can build trust and interest among potential participants, increasing engagement and enrollment rates. Automated follow-ups via email and SMS ensure that interested participants remain engaged throughout the recruitment process, reducing drop-off rates and improving conversion.
Tracking ad performance, email open rates, and SMS response rates through analytics provides valuable insights, allowing for continuous optimization and more effective outreach. By leveraging these strategies, sites can expand their reach, streamline recruitment, and position themselves as top enrollers in clinical trials.
3. Leverage Data for Targeted Recruitment
Efficient recruitment starts with identifying the right participants. Advanced data integration tools can help match trial protocols with patient demographics. This approach helps ensure that outreach efforts are directed at the most eligible candidates who meet the trial’s eligibility criteria.
Tools That Work
Clinical Trial Management Systems (CTMS): Platforms like RealTime-CTMS serve as a central hub for trial activities, patient data, recruitment progress, and overall study coordination for greater site trial management. Real-time system updates enable accurate tracking of subject eligibility. This allows research teams to focus their efforts on high-potential candidates. Plus, with features like automated notifications, real-time eligibility feedback, and integrated recruitment campaign tracking, sites can streamline recruitment efforts and improve enrollment efficiency.
Strategy in Action - Faster Response Time to Qualified Participants
Efficient pre-qualification processes can play a crucial role in participant recruitment, reducing the average time to first contact. This strategic approach helps convert interested participants quicker and minimizes drop-off rates.
Using RealTime’s Web Application integration directly into CTMS, sites can significantly reduce the time from patient identification to initial contact. The system tracks inclusion/exclusion (I/E) criteria in real-time and sends immediate notifications to potential participants about their eligibility. This allows recruitment teams to focus on qualified candidates. A shared patient profile system further streamlines recruitment and screening, helping teams track conversion rates and measure outreach effectiveness with greater accuracy.
See how one site increased patient recruitment by 160% in this RealTime case study.
4. Focus on Participant-Centric Communication
Complex recruitment processes can discourage potential participants, in fact, the average dropout rate for clinical trials is approximately 30%, according to on National Library of Medicine Study. Simplifying workflows for patients and staff can significantly improve recruitment rates.
Tools That Work
Engage! (MyStudyManager™ Participant Portal + eConsent): Automates communication, reminders, and follow-ups, reducing administrative burdens. It also digitizes consent processes, allowing for remote signing and tracking participant engagement.
Strategy in Action
One of the most impactful changes sites can implement is reducing screening times. By leveraging purpose-built participant engagement platforms like RealTime’s MyStudyManager™ Participant Portal, sites can shorten the recruitment funnel from several days to same day, significantly accelerating study timelines. Furthermore, with automated notifications sent through the MyStudyManager™, sites can strengthen patient retention and engagement. These notifications include:
- New study opportunities matching patient profiles
- Appointment reminders to reduce no-shows
- Study updates to keep participants informed of progress and milestones
Moreover, Engage! facilitates patient retention by allowing interested participants to track their enrollment status, receive updates, and stay connected to study coordinators throughout the trial. This leads to a more engaged participant pool and a more streamlined recruitment process.
Final Thoughts
Recruitment strategies should be dynamic and data-driven with continuous performance analysis guiding improvements. Regularly evaluating what works and what doesn’t allow sites to refine their approach and optimize recruitment outcomes.
While tools like Tableau or Google Analytics provide insights into campaign performance, CTMS platforms offer built-in reporting capabilities to track recruitment timelines, enrollment rates, and engagement metrics in real time. For sites looking to take analytics even further, layering on business intelligence tools, like Devana, can provide advanced performance metrics and data analytics. Devana seamlessly integrates into the industry’s leading CTMS, giving site networks a comprehensive view of recruitment trends, operational efficiency, and overall site performance.
Patient recruitment doesn’t have to be the bottleneck in your clinical trials. By leveraging the right tools and implementing proven strategies, sites and site networks can boost their recruitment efforts, and ultimately accelerate clinical trial enrollment. From data-driven insights and community engagement, to focusing on patient-centric practices and continuously optimizing workflows, your site can overcome recruitment challenges and thrive.
