Context

A phase II study for treatment resistant depression was struggling with recruitment due to high screen fail rates (~90%). The primary cause for screen failure was absence of a necessary genetic marker. The existing vendor registry did not generate the volume required for success, and the trial needed participants urgently to meet study timelines.

Strategy

Connected sites with out-of-network patients

The trial’s ClinOps team needed access to new patient sources since they weren't seeing the required volume by recruiting patients at the sites. Power was activated across 30 sites, and the research team gained immediate, real time access to patients actively looking for clinical trials in depression on Power’s marketplace.

Patients search for trials on Power daily, and we connect them with researchers directly. By enabling patients to search for trials that meet their specific criteria, and showing patients their eligibility based on the trial's requirements, we ensure patients find the right trial options for them.

Implemented a customized patient referral process

This trial provided decentralized diagnostic screening for patients to increase accessibility and convenience for patients. Power created a customized digital pre-screener that included all key inclusion and exclusion criteria that patients filled out during sign up.

Here is how the process looked. Patients would choose to sign up for the trial, they would complete the digital pre-screener, provide all key demographic info, and consent to share this information with the trial's research team. The research team would receive the patient application with all information in real time through Power's referral management platform. This meant a low friction hand-off where the team could evaluate patient eligibility in minutes.

The Power team followed up with patients to ensure they completed the diagnostic screening, and provided last mile support to patients and the research team.

Provided advanced analytics to optimize the funnel

The Power team collected data across the complete patient funnel, from patient search to enrollment, and provided ongoing insights to optimize the recruitment funnel. We had bi-weekly check ins with the team to go through the data, and optimized various processes like the study page, pre-screener questions, and response time to patients.

Results

Over 400 new patients screened over 4 months

The study team started receiving new patients immediately, and ended up screening over 400 new patients over 4 months. The team was thrilled because they got access to a new flow of patients who were engaged and interested in participating in the trial. Unlike patients who are at sites or in registries, patients on Power are signing up for research at the highest point of interest and are therefore much more engaged.

12% lift in enrollment rate

The trial saw a 12% lift in enrollment rate and was able to meet their recruitment deadlines. Our team employed a combination of data analytics, social media presence, and a streamlined participant screening process to identify and engage potential trial candidates more effectively. We also implemented personalized communication and follow-up strategies to improve participant connection and satisfaction.

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“The results have been really encouraging and we’re finally seeing great outcomes from our screening efforts, after months of high screen fail rates.” - Clinical Trial Lead