Patient Recruitment Insights

Patient Recruitment Insights

by Dora Calderon

Patient Recruitment Challenges

At the heart of patient recruiting is asking volunteers to take an investigational product or placebo when they are experiencing debilitating pain, as with migraines or fibromyalgia, that affects all aspects of their lives.

Challenge #1: Why would anyone want to take a drug that has not been proven to be effective for their condition or possibly receive placebo?

Challenge #2: Why would anyone who doesn’t feel well much of the time want to complete a diary about their pain or comply with the myriad of reporting and outpatient visit requirements of a clinical research study?

Patient Recruitment Strategies

Regardless of whether the media used is TV/Radio, newspaper or internet, there are three concepts that you should try to convey in your messaging:

HOPE: This study offers a new therapeutic approach that could help people with this condition now or in the future

EDUCATION: Participants will have access to leading healthcare professionals and may learn more about their condition

EMPOWERMENT: Current therapies are not sufficient and this study offers them an opportunity to help change how their condition is treated in the future

Hope

Education

Empowerment

Hope

Empowerment

Education

Hope

Empowerment

Education

Hope

Education

Empowerment

Patient Recruitment Challenges

Conventional recruitment methods such as TV/Radio and newspaper still have their role, but they are not as effective as they used to be. Today’s potential study volunteers are inundated with marketing messages at every turn.

Challenge #3: How do you break through all the media clutter and make sure your message gets to prospective study volunteers?


Eighty-six percent of women and seventy-three percent of men with internet access search for health information online.1

So the best ways to get in front of them is to meet them where they are -- through Digital Marketing!

1Source: PewInternet.org/2011/02/01


Digital Marketing includes paid ads, social media, blogging and email marketing and…

Is cost-effective: High exposure for a much lower cost than traditional media

Allows for precise targeting: Today’s digital platforms like Facebook and Google AdWords allow you to laser target your audience by location, age, gender, interests, etc. enabling you to reach people who are most likely to convert.

Is easy to measure: You can use Google Analytics to measure goals and conversions on your website and make smarter decisions about where to spend your marketing dollars.

Email CampaignDigital recruitment campaigns that include email marketing are cost-efficient and effective.

Case Study: Wisdom TeethEnrolled: 280

Referral Sources:35% Email Campaign19% Database16% Friend Referral15% Social Media14% Radio01% Newspaper

Facebook Ads

Case Study: BunionReferrals: 1541 Enrolled: 368

Word of mouth has long been touted as the best way to attract new customers. In this case study, Facebook referrals have a high conversion rate, second only to Friend Referral a.k.a. “word of mouth”.

*Craigslist, Unspecified

Referral Sources (RS)

Referrals Enrolled Conversion Rate by RS

Friend Referral 59 25 42%

Facebook 140 44 31%

Newspaper 121 33 27%

Internet* 153 39 25%

Radio 188 35 19

Television 880 192 22%

TOTAL 1541 368