Clinical trials provide invaluable information about a drug’s or procedure’s efficacy, safety, long-term impact, and ability to address the disease or condition in question.

Unfortunately, clinical trial participation isn’t as immediately accessible as some healthcare professionals may hope: On average, only 10% of the potential patient population can be accessed via traditional recruitment methods.

Willingness isn’t the key reason for slow enrollment timelines and clinical trial delays. Instead, access to qualified patients is the key driver, with 80% of clinical trials facing delay from enrollment.

Luckily, working with a trusted patient recruitment agency can decrease enrollment timelines and get treatment on the market faster. Let’s explore the various factors—including decreasing patient enrollment timelines and increasing patient engagement —that make patient recruitment services essential for clinical research.

The Role of a Patient Recruiting Agency

Patient recruitment companies work with biopharmaceutical sponsors to connect clinical trials with qualified patients. They identify, target, and screen individuals based on their alignment to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the clinical study.

If, for instance, the pharma or medical device company wants to investigate the effects of a new drug on individuals with arthritis they would seek to engage participants who meet the specific criteria required to test the therapeutic effects of the drug or device in the clinical study.

In order to recruit patients reliably and successfully, agencies often use these (and similar) recruitment and retention solutions:

• Social media advertisements: A recent tactic to find qualified participants is utilizing social media to connect with patients. Social media ads can target users based on their search engine queries, making pinpointing those living with certain conditions easier.
• Local searches: One of the largest barriers preventing patients from participating in clinical trials is distance. Many who want to participate in studies simply live too far from the research sites to make the journeys feasible. Therefore, agencies focus on recruiting patients from local areas to maximize their chances of participation.
• Virtual recruitment: In recent years, advertising online, leveraging video screening, and searching beyond local geographies have also been hallmarks of successful patient recruitment, especially when clinical trials can be run virtually as well.

Increasing Randomization in Clinical Trials

Successful clinical research relies on enrolling or randomizing a sufficient and representative patient population. It allows you to extrapolate clinical results and reliably apply them to untested populations (e.g., the general public).

Effective patient recruitment is crucial for eliminating conscious and unconscious biases in clinical testing. While true randomization is key to unbiased patient population selection, identifying and screening suitable candidates is complex and requires expertise. A qualified recruitment agency plays a vital role in this stage, ensuring that a diverse and representative pool of patients is identified and prepared for the randomization process.

It’s important to note that while recruitment agencies don’t handle the randomization itself, they ensure that the right patients are targeted, screened, and supported up to that critical point. This approach minimizes selection bias by focusing on recruiting a broad and representative sample without being influenced by the desired study outcomes.

Random, representative patient populations are not easily accessible; they are often scattered and difficult to identify without specialized recruitment efforts. By partnering with an experienced agency, you can ensure that your clinical trials are set up for success with a well-screened and diverse patient pool ready for randomization.

Reducing Enrollment Timelines

Clinical trials are routinely extended or canceled due to low enrollment. In fact, an eye-popping 55% of clinical studies never face completion due to low participation, while 80% fail to meet their enrollment goals on time.

Luckily, recruiting patients through recruitment agencies can help you achieve your enrollment targets and keep your clinical trials on schedule. How?

Companies such as AutoCruitment use a variety of technical strategies to expedite recruitment, including:

• Creating a more efficient matching and screening process: AutoCruitment’s tailor-made screeners focus on your study’s protocols and requirements—meaning more closely matched patients who are highly likely to be interested in participating.
• Streamlining communication and follow-ups: AutoCruitment doesn’t just connect you with patients and call it a day. We support, assist, and care for them across every touchpoint of your study so they’re satisfied, communicative, and open to participating in any follow-ups.
• Leveraging comprehensive targeting strategies: AutoCruitment’s strategies go beyond database recruitment. Direct-to-patient targeting means we can access any potential patient online and look for information on their condition.

Case Studies and Success Stories

AutoCruitment makes finding clinical trial participants simple, reducing burden burden on patients, and keeping your study on track. When a research team came to AutoCruitment hoping to find patients for their Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)  clinical trial, quickly began recruitment to help them meet their enrollment timelines.

Depression-related studies have strict enrollment parameters, so it was no surprise that the research crew was behind schedule on recruiting. They would’ve needed ten months to reach their recruitment goal at the rate they were going. Unfortunately, they had only half that time to pull it off.

AutoCruitment doubled the trial’s enrollment pace, and by the five-month deadline, they had met their recruitment goals and were able to carry out their study.

The moral of the story? Partnering with a patient recruitment agency from the get-go can help you avoid falling behind on enrollment.

Choosing the Right Patient Recruitment Agency

There are various factors to consider when selecting the right recruitment agency for your needs. When considering different companies, be sure to ask questions about:

• Their track record and experience: Are they new to patient recruitment or are they seasoned veterans? Have they helped many clinical study teams, or are you their first trial? Be sure to specifically inquire if they have experience enrolling patients in the exact condition you’re studying.
• The technology they use: Do they have a robust technological infrastructure with easily accessible features to support your needs?? Can they collect and standardize Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) with patient consent seamlessly rather than relying on patient and/or site involvement?  Trust in agencies that use the latest solutions to target, assess, and connect you with the most qualified patients possible. Ensure that your patient recruitment agency has technology to manage your patients’ enrollment progress and provide transparent and data-driven views on enrollment.
• Client testimonials: Can previous teams attest to the company’s success? How much did they increase enrollment for other studies? Be sure to utilize an agency that provides prior clients’ referrals, testimonials, and case studies to ensure their legitimacy and fitness for your needs.

AutoCruitment is the ideal agency to connect you with qualified patients for your clinical study. With experience connecting patients with over 120 conditions to corresponding studies, and countless satisfied customers, we’re the agency you can trust for all your enrollment needs.

Try AutoCruitment for your next clinical trial and enroll qualified patients quicker than ever before.