Maximizing Patient Recruitment

Having well-constructed recruitment pathways are vital in research. Clinical trials that fail to meet recruitment/enrollment goals may have substantial delays, or small sample sizes resulting in decreased study power, and even early termination. There are many diverse sources for patient recruitment, including clinics, community outreach, institution resources, and traditional media/social media outlets. To optimize recruitment methods during the study and meet enrollment goals, create a system to track progress, and follow recruitment rates. It is important to clearly articulate how staff will approach patients and from what source they will recruit them from. This is to avoid discrepancies and protocol deviations among staff when recruiting subjects.