Exco Intouch has announced the results of a pre-conference workshop at the Patient Recruitment and Retention conference in Amsterdam on 13 - 15 October 2008.
The event, run in partnership with the patient recruitment agency MMG, focused on methods to improve patient recruitment, retention and compliance in clinical research.
Post-event survey results demonstrated that only 12 per cent of delegates had a specific patient recruitment role in their sponsor organisation.
However, more than 75 per cent of participants have planned and executed specific recruitment and retention initiatives as part of their initial protocol design management.
More than 50 per cent of attendees had used an outside agency or technology vendor to assist tactical planning to improve recruitment and retention.
More than 90 per cent of sponsor personnel at the workshop said they were actively looking for new ways to enhance communication with patients to reduce lost to follow up and early withdrawal rates.
Participants recognised that lost to follow up rates, which can be as high as 40 per cent, are proving to be unacceptable in terms of the resulting study delays and increased patient-recruitment costs.
Companies are now looking to improve efficiency, particularly in therapy areas with notoriously high retention and compliance rates.
Recruitment strategies in use or being considered include direct-to-patient or direct-to-caregiver materials, advertising and physician referral materials.
Almost 80 per cent of attendees wanted to receive further information about how mobile communications and the internet could support trials.
Areas of specific interest included electronic diaries, using cell phone technology; social networking websites; medication and dosing reminders delivered by text message; and site website application for easy visit scheduling and patient notifications.
