18 Oct The business case for patient experience

By Scott Gray, The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP)

For some patients, participating in a clinical trial may be the only way to secure treatment when no other approved options are available. Others altruistically choose to participate in clinical trials to advance science and help future patients who may be suffering from the same disease. In either case, there is a real human need contingent upon clinical trials meeting their targeted enrollment, retaining participants, attaining crucial milestones, and resulting in successful outcomes. Yet, despite the best efforts of study stakeholders, recruitment and retention continue to be challenges for the industry and the most significant cause of trial delay.

Two-thirds of clinical trials fail to enroll enough patients to conduct the trial effectively, and 85% of trials fail to retain enough patients to complete the study. Even after patients are successfully enrolled, clinical trial coordinators face an uphill battle in retaining patients for the duration of the study; dropout rates typically exceed 30%.

Recruitment and retention problems have a cumulative effect, often resulting in trial delays. Only 6% of clinical trials finish on time, and 80% are delayed by at least one month. Delays negatively impact study costs and future sales, causing the industry potential losses of between $600,000 and $8 million per day. The toll of these delays on humans, however, is immeasurable.

Despite these challenges, pharmaceutical sponsors and clinical research organizations (CROs) are working to increase patient recruitment and retention rates and to improve trial performance using patient-centric engagement strategies to elevate the patient experience. Read more …