Why Participant Retention is Crucial in Changing Clinical Trial Landscape

With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration emphasizing the need for diversity plans and the rise of decentralized clinical trial designs, it’s important to remember that careful planning is still necessary for successful patient retention.

One key factor that needs to be included in clinical trial diversity plans is participant payments and reimbursement. Without appropriate compensation, many potential participants may be left out of the study. However, institutional review boards (IRBs) are often seen as a barrier to paying participants in clinical research.

Thankfully, the clinical research industry now recognizes that payments can incentivize participants without being unduly influential. So, it’s time for sponsors and clinical research organizations to assess the costs to individuals tied to their research participation and provide them with just compensation for their service. This will ultimately help improve diversity in clinical trials.

In addition to this, the rise of decentralized clinical trial designs (DCTs) can make participation more attractive for some. However, retaining participants throughout the course of a trial will continue to be problematic without a thoughtful approach to keep them engaged. Poor retention rates can lead to increased costs and a loss of useful data for regulatory submission.

So, what’s the solution? Well, Ingrid Oakley-Girvan, Senior Vice President of Value and Strategy at Medable Inc., suggests a three-phase model of engagement that is based on proven science and utilizes data to keep participants engaged throughout each phase of a clinical trial. It’s important to note that there are countless reasons why noncompliance and poor retention occur in healthcare settings, but by understanding how the most successful digital platforms engage their users, we can gain valuable insights.

Overall, it’s important to keep these issues in mind as we continue to make progress in clinical research. Let’s work towards more diverse and successful clinical trials by prioritizing patient retention efforts.