Do you know how to improve patient retention in clinical trials?
It?s well known that some patients who enroll in clinical trials don?t stay until the end of the clinical trial. Sometimes, this is because they die or develop an adverse reaction that prevents them from finishing the trial. But other times, it?s because they simply drop out of the research study before their designated end date.
That puts their health at risk since they could miss out on potential benefits while also potentially exposing them to risks they were not aware of beforehand. However, there are strategies you can take in order to improve patient retention in clinical trials and make sure that your study participants finish the trials on time and unscathed.
This article is for:
- Clinical trial coordinators and investigators seeking actionable strategies to mitigate patient dropout and improve retention.
- Study sponsors and research organizations interested in optimizing patient engagement to maximize study success.
- Healthcare professionals involved in patient recruitment and retention efforts within clinical research settings.
What is Patient Retention in Clinical Trials?
Patient retention in clinical trials is keeping patients who have signed up for a clinical trial until the completion of all stages. Dropouts are when patients who have signed up for a clinical trial drop out of it before its completion. Patient retention strategies aim to improve patient retention and patient satisfaction. Your clinical trial team should account for expected dropout rates and consider different strategies that can be implemented on a daily basis to improve clinical trial patient retention.
The Significance of Patient Retention
Patient retention in clinical trials is a highly relevant and important topic because it?s considered one of several quality measures. A poorly executed study with a high rate of dropouts may give out false results with very little significance due to improper patient-to-result comparisons. Making sure that patient retention rates are high should be a top priority for any trial site. Newer versions of some commercial Electronic Trial Master Files can calculate expected dropout rates and list different strategies that can be implemented on a daily basis to improve clinical trial patient retention.
Impact on Funding & Strategies
Having poor patient retention rates will also cause trials to lose funding as it?s a major setback for all parties involved and makes a lot of money wasted from the initial costs of running the trial till completion. Patient retention strategies need to be implemented that could save thousands in funding and give vital insights on different ways how to improve patient retention in clinical trials.
Clinical Trials Patient Retention: Why Does It Matter?
When patients leave a clinical trial early for any reason, that leaves a spot open in the trial. This spot could be filled by another patient, but if that patient doesn?t show up, then there?s still an empty spot on your study. Over time, these empty spots add up and can significantly impact a clinical trial?s results. A study might indicate that a new medication is working well when it really isn?t because so many patients dropped out.
The main consideration of clinical trials patient retention is that you will lose valuable data on patients who drop out early. You won?t know if what you are giving them works or not. Patients who stay with your clinical trial can provide data to prove how effective your new treatment is over time. Patient retention also shows that patients believe in your product and want to see it succeed, as opposed to leaving because they don?t want to use it any longer.
