The first step in any successful recruitment campaign is identifying who would be an ideal participant. Recruitment companies typically hone in on specific targets like age, locale, and pre-existing medical conditions. But we’re missing an opportunity during the initial outreach when we don’t ask…
Do they want to participate in a clinical trial?
Patient motivation is driven by many different factors. Some want to move medical science forward. Others want to receive the newest treatment and additional care from healthcare staff. No matter the reason, understanding patient motivation in clinical trials gives us insight into patients who are more likely to enroll and improves our recruitment in the future.
Access to life-saving medicine and treatment
The most common reason that many patients give for enrolling in a clinical trial is to gain access to new medicine or alternative treatments not yet available to the public. According to industry group PhRMA, it can take up to 15 years to develop one new medicine from discovery through regulatory approval. Clinical trial patients can have access to cutting-edge treatments that may not be available through standard care.
Expert care from healthcare professionals
While several steps of the enrollment processes can (and should) take place remotely, clinical trials are conducted in centralized medical centers. They’re also run by researchers and healthcare professionals. Participants may value the opportunity to receive additional care from specialists in the field. This is especially true of patients in rural communities, where healthcare centers are typically found in remote areas and access can be inconsistent.
Financial compensation
Some clinical trials offer financial compensation in exchange for a patient’s time, travel, and willingness to enroll. And full disclosure—we think that’s a perfectly reasonable motivation! All we care about is filling clinical trials so that drug development is more effective and sees fewer delays.
Helping others and serving the common good
According to a 2013 study out of Brazil, altruism wasn’t a common motivator and was often cited as secondary to financial gain or access to alternative treatment. Regardless, anyone who is participating in a clinical trial is serving the common good whether it’s their primary motivation or not, and we should proactively encourage that.
Free (or paid) health checkups
Drug trials often involve regular health check-ups and monitoring for participants. Once they’re enrolled, these services are free. For patients who can’t afford regular medical care, the personalized care provided during a trial is a benefit they wouldn’t have otherwise received on their own.
No waiting time for medical appointments
Patient populations help clinical researchers turn their results into additional available treatments, shorter wait times, less pain, and more effective healthcare. And when they enroll to participate in clinical trials, they’ll have access to doctors and medical professionals without waiting for an appointment. They’ll have immediate access to ask questions and (if appropriate) seek additional treatment at the trial location.
The 1nHealth solution: Filling clinical trials with motivated patients
Patient recruitment is about finding the right patients for the right clinical trials. Compelling communication that’s created with the patient in mind increases their willingness to participate. This is especially important in creating a more inclusive environment, ultimately leading to accelerated patient enrollment in clinical trials.
Since 2019, 1nHealth has been filling clinical trials faster than ever before. To learn how 1nHealth can support you with your patient-centric recruitment, contact us here.
