Lou Shapiro
In this post, I share five ways call centers can expedite and improve their patient recruitment process.
In a previous blog posting we discussed how slow patient recruitment can delay clinical trials. While it is common for a pharmaceutical company to work with a healthcare communications company to reach out to and screen potential patients, I have worked with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to expedite their patient recruitment for clinical trials via dedicated call centers for many years. A pharmaceutical call center can expedite patient trial recruitment numerous ways, and here are five to consider:
1. Media outreach —Pharmaceutical call centers know how to use traditional media channels such as print, radio, and TV advertising to reach appropriate patients. We also know how to work with patient advocacy groups to reach appropriate patients.
2. Skilled operators conduct patient screening - We start by developing a screening tool that is aligned with your study’s inclusion and exclusion criteria. Next our skilled operators screen all patients with the screening tool. A properly developed screening tool quickly eliminates inappropriate patients and dramatically increases patient referrals to study sites, which leads to increased enrollment in studies.
3. Quick patient referrals to study sites - Our call center operators provide “warm transfer” of qualified patients directly to study sites for further evaluation. This immediate transfer increases patient enrollment and retention.
4. On-going patient support and retention - Our call center operators support patients by following up and reminding them of appointments, pre-visit instructions, and to complete patient logs/diaries.
5. Immediate access to information - Our call center operators provide 24/7 access to information and experts who can answer questions on the treatment and its side effects.
Have you utilized a pharmaceutical call center to help with patient recruitment? If so, did you see an increase in patient recruitment? Was it cost-effective? Would you recommend this to others?
Please download a complimentary copy of our latest whitepaper, “Selecting the Right Call Center Partner: Tips for Success.”
For additional information, please visit the PhoneScreen patient recruitment page on our website.
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Lou Shapiro
In this post, I share some of the challenges in patient recruitment as well as many of my key learnings in dealing with these challenges
I frequently hear from my pharmaceutical company clients that they are frustrated with the slow pace of patient recruitment for their clinical trials. Slow patient recruitment is common and can lead to lost revenues due to decreases in the period of exclusivity once a product is approved.
Additionally, recruiting patients for clinical trials is a significant expense. I’m going to share with you a few ways to increase patient recruitment and retention in clinical trials.
At its core, patient recruitment involves identifying appropriate patients and enrolling them in a clinical study. The concept sounds simple and straightforward. However, we all know that implementing patient recruitment is more complicated and time-consuming than it appears.
The primary challenges my clients face with patient recruitment are:
• Reaching appropriate patients
• Prompting patients to act and get involved in a clinical trial
• Ongoing support for patients so they stay enrolled in a trial
Additionally, there are a number of factors, including privacy policies and regulations and study design principles, that effect what pharmaceutical company sponsors can do to expedite patient enrollment. The intentions behind these factors are good and appropriate, and in order to develop alternatives we must be aware of them. So, what can be done to expedite patient recruitment?
I‘ve worked with many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to expedite their patient recruitment for clinical trials. From these experiences, here are a few of my key learnings:
• Outreach is key. Reach patients through traditional media channels such as print, radio, and TV advertising, as well as patient advocacy groups.
• Screening patients is critical to expedite patient recruitment and enrollment. Screening can be a bottle neck for study sites costing quite a bit of time and providing disappointing results. Develop tools or provide support to speed up screening and identification of appropriate patients.
• Support patients’ informational needs. Provide user-friendly and easy-to-understand information on study treatment and risks.
• Develop materials and tools to support patient compliance with study requirements. Patients and their family members are juggling a number of important issues during their treatment.
• Develop materials and support mechanisms that make complying with study requirements simple, easy, and automatic. Think about generating automated reminders for appointments, pre-visit instructions, and reminders to complete patient logs/diaries. Also, think about the age, demographics and preferences of the patient population. Are there common themes with patient preferences such as comfort or discomfort with electronic tools? If so, use these preferences to design patient materials and tools.
An emerging area in patient recruitment is using social media tools to identify potential study volunteers. Social media sites such as Inspire, Patients Like Me, and Army of Women all provide access to their network and followers. While social media can quickly raise awareness of a study with a specific patient population, there are unanswered questions about the potential impact of recruiting patients in this manner. Specific areas of concern are patient privacy and whether discussing the study and side effects from the treatment arms could harm the integrity of the study. At the heart of this question is whether it is possible for patients to figure which arm of the study they are on, and essentially “un-blind” the study. These are important issues to be discussed, and I’d like to hear your thoughts and experiences on using social media tools for patient recruitment.
What have you done to expedite patient screening and enrollment in clinical trials? Please share your best practices and areas to watch for when implementing these activities.
Please download a complimentary copy of our latest whitepaper, “Selecting the Right Call Center Partner: Tips for Success.”
For additional information, please visit the PhoneScreen patient recruitment page on our website.
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View website for Tunstall AMAC Life Sciences
