How to Start a Clinical Trial Recruitment Plan [Template]

Clinical trial patient recruitment takes a significant amount of time and resources at research sites. Between choosing advertising channels, writing copy and getting Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and launching your campaign, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

A well-organized patient recruitment plan can help you more easily take stock of your resources, keep to deadlines, and launch your campaign with confidence. Follow these steps to start your plan on the right foot and get organized from the start.

Set your goals.

Often, the trial sponsor will have done this part of your work for you by setting a target goal for your site. You most likely have a deadline to meet, as well. Beyond specific patient recruitment goals, you may have other personal objectives, such as staying under a certain budget or creating a positive patient experience.

Reflect on past successes – and failures, too.

Before moving into strategizing, take time to review what has and hasn't worked in the past at your site in terms of patient recruitment. Were any outreach channels particularly successful – or unsuccessful? What kind of feedback did you receive from patients? What hypotheses are you interested in testing in your next campaign? Are there any different outreach channels or recruitment methods you're interested in trying this time around? If this is your first time working on a recruitment campaign at your site, ask others who have been involved before about their experiences. Reflecting on past work before choosing new strategies can help you avoid approaches that haven't worked in the past, or at least find ways to approach them from a new angle.

Determine your strategy and tactics.

There are several different patient recruitment strategies to try, from using a patient database to digital advertising. Consider the specifics of your study, your goals, and existing resources to determine the options that are best for you.

Most sites start by evaluating their existing patient databases. Try these tips for conducting patient feasibility at your own site and figuring out around how many patients you can expect to recruit from your own database.

From there, consider staff resources you have at your site. Are you or someone else comfortable running your own digital advertising campaigns, or would you rather work with a patient recruitment company that can run ads for you?

With your budget and the research you've done so far in mind, think about whether you may work with a for help, too. You can also look into potential partnerships with local patient advocates, nonprofits, and medical centers, as well.

Break your plan into sections and set deadlines.

Using a template can help you break your project into more manageable chunks. From there, you can start to set deadlines for yourself related to each piece. Take note if others on your team will need to review your budget, advertising channel selections, and outreach materials. Also consider the typical timeline for IRB approval for your outreach materials and image selections, and work backwards from when you would like to launch your recruitment to make sure you have enough time to meet your goals.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, getting your planning resources together can help. Use a patient recruitment plan template for guidance, and keep IRB guidelines handy for when you start to create outreach materials.

Once your plan is in place, you can start researching your patient population, finalizing your outreach options, and drafting copy to submit to your IRB. Ready to start your recruitment plan? Download our free template below.