Each year, dozens of research projects and clinical trials are carried out all over the world with the common objective of introducing new medical products and treatments to the market. However, issues with recruiting cause over 80% of clinical studies to be postponed or abandoned.
In these clinical trials, researchers gain a deeper understanding of potential new treatments, including drugs, medical technologies, and lifestyle modifications, through medical investigations. Each phase of trials has its own timeline, objectives, and minimum requirements for volunteers. This process, as required by the FDA, must be strictly followed before any new treatment can be made available on the market.
Therefore, our Houston based clinical trials are undoubtedly a fundamental component of the healthcare sector, as they are essential for the approval of any new treatment. Every medication currently in use, whether it requires a prescription or is available over the counter, is a product of the rigorous research performed there. And to conduct these trials, the contribution of volunteers is essential.
As a result, one of the most significant challenges in clinical trial recruitment is finding and reaching the right participants. Understanding where the primary barriers in this process occur can help sponsors take proactive measures to resolve these concerns.
During studies, a few doctors usually run the research and use their own patients or get patients from other doctors they know. But the problem is that many doctors aren’t always aware about the latest research, so they hardly ever refer patients.
Although the low number of doctor-to-doctor referrals happens for a few reasons, we can address this issue by improving communication. We should opt to have more transparency, digital health records, and a system that rewards doctors for referring patients. Such measures can encourage doctors to refer more volunteers and simplify the process of finding individuals interested in participating in research.
Having well-controlled conditions during the trials are very important for getting good results. But sometimes, the rules about who can join a research study are too rigid, which means only a few people can take part.
The challenge is to find a balance between getting very precise data and letting more people join the study. However, there are ways to make the rules less strict without sacrificing the quality of the results. We just need to think about how these rules apply to real patients and figure out which ones are truly needed for the study.
Competition in clinical trials can be a good thing. It can push research organizations to be more creative in getting people to join their trials. But sometimes, this competition means that different studies are trying to do similar things in the same areas, which can lead to a lot of overlap and problems with getting enough participants.
When studies are directly competing, it can waste time and resources trying to find patients, especially if there aren't many suitable volunteers or the study is small. In these situations, it's important to be very specific in reaching out to potential participants. This approach will ultimately help find the right patients for that particular trial, reducing unnecessary spending and effort.
Interestingly, only a few studies actually have a detailed plan for how to find patients, who will be in charge of it, what tools will be used, and how much time and money should be needed. Just by planning ahead, whether by working with a clinical trial patient recruitment company or doing the outreach themselves, sponsors can greatly improve their chances of finding the right number of patients for successful research.
Thinking about partnering with a Houston based clinical trial company? Biopharma Informatic has a track record of saving sponsors time in recruitment while ensuring a positive experience for patients. Contact us today to see how we can assist you.