19 Apr A day in the life of a wannabe clinical trial participant: Desperately seeking recruitment

By Leanne Woehlke, Clinical Leader

I wasn’t actively searching to participate in a clinical trial; I just stumbled upon it when researching a new primary care physician. You know how it goes: you click on a website, then before you know it, something catches your attention and with a few more clicks you find yourself down a rabbit hole wondering, “What was it I was looking for?”

That’s how it happened.

Doing a bit of poking around to get a feel for the vibe of the office, I clicked “Therapies and Services” on the menu. Then, beckoning me like a piece of dark chocolate at midnight, on the very bottom of the menu were those magical words, “Clinical Trials.” Before I knew it, my fingers clicked and I began scanning the page for the available options. A well-groomed doctor smiling from the YouTube thumbnails announced, “Clinical Trial Opportunity – Recruiting Participants…” I scoured the page, trying to identify said opportunity.

My eyes glazed over at the “official title” — lots of scientific speak with words someone without a medical degree would likely find hard to understand, let alone pronounce. Then there was the magic word, “longevity.” My interest was piqued!

Anticipating a new spring in my step, I excitedly clicked the blue “Learn More” button and willingly shared my personal health and contact information… even my age! Quite a feat for a woman who reluctantly qualifies for AARP!

I waited patiently, at least for the first 30 minutes, for a call from the research coordinator. As someone who sets up call centers and recruitment campaigns for clients, I have a few opinions on how these things should go. Read more …