Why So Many Patient Recruitment Campaigns Fail, and What Sponsors Can Do Differently to Improve Enrollment.

The importance of a well-thought-out patient recruitment campaign cannot be understated if a sponsor, CRO or investigator hopes to increase subject enrollment. Choosing the best recruitment agency as your partner is critical, but even then; you want to make sure all the boxes are checked. Trial AMPlify, a global patient recruitment firm located in Boston, MA has provided our insights and analysis below on why some of these campaigns fall short.

Our research reveals a number of areas that must be addressed. Pitfalls such as insufficient budget, ineffective use of digital platforms, and poor patient engagement strategies are dooming the patient recruitment campaign from the start. Perhaps the biggest mistake sponsors make is neglecting the need to win over the target physicians, HCPs and the patient's inner circle influencers. Until a holistic subject enrollment strategy is embraced, trials will continue to struggle to fill their patient funnel.

A well-designed clinical trial website serves as a central hub for the protocol, where potential participants can learn about the trial, eligibility criteria, where the sites are located and the benefits of participation.

#2 Neglecting Dedicated Clinical Trial Websites

A protocol study listing on clinicaltrials.gov is essential for running a trial. That said, using the same link to your study on clinicaltrials.gov to promote and build awareness with patients is not going to greatly increase enrollment. In the digital age, a dedicated website for a clinical trial is essential. A well-designed clinical trial website serves as a central hub for the protocol, where potential participants can learn about the trial, eligibility criteria, where the sites are located, and the benefits of participation. Failing to utilize this tool can significantly hinder the campaign's visibility. A dedicated website also provides a platform for hosting detailed FAQs, participant testimonials, and contact information, which are crucial for building trust and interest among potential participants. You may ask, “Why can’t I simply create a clinical study page off my corporate site?” You can, but Google will not give this page the SEO page ranking it needs to be seen for the keywords around your trial.

#3 Underutilization of Google Ads

Google Ads can be a powerful tool to laser-target patient populations by leveraging high search volume keywords and ads that are tailored to entice and invoke engagement with specific patient audience. By not leveraging Google Ads, recruitment campaigns miss out on a vast pool of potential participants who are actively searching for clinical trial opportunities. Clinical trial Google campaigns allow for targeted advertising based on specific keywords, locations, and demographics, increasing the chances of reaching relevant audiences. Campaigns that overlook this marketing channel often struggle with low visibility and poor participant turnout. Some folks state that they do not click on ads. In the case where your health or your life is at stake, and an ad is describing your exact condition and offering a trial, patients do indeed click. This is how Google generates billions in revenue.

#4 Choosing the best patient recruitment agency to work with
One consideration that is often overlooked is who’s doing the actual work at your patient recruitment firm. Is it the founder and the upper management team you were originally introduced to during the pitch meetings, or was your clinical trial recruitment campaign handed off to interns and junior people at some point? The answer may surprise you. Many agencies often reserve their top talent for their largest clients. This is not the case with Trial AMPlify. You will only work with our A team throughout the entire engagement from the first pixel to the last enrolled patient.

#5 Overreliance on Facebook Campaigns

While Facebook is a valuable platform for patient recruitment, relying solely on it can be a strategic mistake. Facebook's algorithmic changes and the diverse nature of its user base can make it challenging to reach the intended audience effectively. Additionally, some demographic groups may be underrepresented on Facebook. Overreliance on this platform can result in a narrow and potentially unrepresentative participant pool, limiting the diversity and generalizability of the trial outcomes. Lastly, consider that it only takes one Facebook group comment to dissuade a patient from looking into a trial. Without a dedicated clinical trial website to counter negative comments, sponsors find themselves at the mercy of Facebook opinion leaders.

#6 Failure to Connect with Potential Patients

At the core of every successful recruitment campaign is the ability to connect with potential patients on a personal level. This involves understanding their motivations, concerns, and barriers to participation. Campaigns that fail to engage potential participants in a meaningful way often see low enrollment numbers. Effective communication, empathy, and addressing potential participants' concerns are essential for building trust and interest.

Further, many sponsors neglect the critical need to help the patients' inner circle and the target physicians embrace the trial protocol. Utilizing a dedicated clinical trial website enables everyone to view the focus of the study, eligibility criteria and what is being tested. This helps to instill trust, credibility and "buy-in". It only takes one person to scare a patient out of moving forward with a clinical trial. By providing a clinical trial site to view the study, everyone including the patient can proceed forward with confidence.

Summary
In conclusion, patient recruitment campaigns face several challenges, including insufficient budgets, neglecting dedicated websites and Google Ads, overreliance on Facebook, and a failure to connect meaningfully with potential patients. Addressing these issues is crucial for the success of clinical trials, ensuring they can recruit a diverse and sufficient participant pool to meet their objectives.