Successful patient recruitment is a crucial element in clinical trials, but data curated by GlobalData shows that low accrual rate is still the most common reason for trial termination, comprising 25.4% of all terminated trials over the last ten years.
However, there is good news on the horizon. The proportion of trials ending prematurely has been steadily decreasing over the same time period, from 10.6% in 2010 to 4.7% in 2021[i]. This trend is interpreted by the analytics firm to be a result of new technology applications and decentralised clinical trial (DCT) elements being incorporated more frequently into studies.
Patient Recruitment Platforms (PRPs) are currently making a big buzz in the industry, claiming to optimise patient recruitment by using AI algorithms to match eligible patients with studies, manage patient data more effectively and track progress in real-time, all while ensuring regulatory compliance.
So, last month, experts from clinical trial backgrounds came together on a virtual panel, sponsored by Trialbee, to further investigate these claims and explore if PRPs can make such a huge difference. The experts were:
Moderator:
Stef Kuhner, Head of Clinical Technology, Innovation & Patient Recruitment -Strategic Sourcing & Procurement, Bristol Myers Squibb.
Panellists:
Kim Farrell, Patient Engagement Lead, Parexel;
Ria Westergaard, Director of Product innovation, Evernorth;
Alycia Ketter, Clinical Research Liaison, Wright State Physicians;
and Matt Walz, CEO of Trialbee, owner of the standalone Honey Patient Recruitment Platform.
Attaining real-time data for PRPs
Moderator Stef Kuhner, kicks off by discussing patient recruitment challenges and emerging technologies to improve recruitment efforts, with panellists sharing their perspectives on the importance of real-time data in clinical research.
Kim Farrell, highlights the importance of integrating data points into one platform, where researchers can learn from previous studies to allocate resources more efficiently.
“What we’re looking to do with a patient recruitment platform is to bring all those data points together, so that we can collate them and organise them and then strategically use that real-time data,” explains Farrell. “We have a study now that’s utilising (Trialbee’s) Honey platform. Instead of putting together various spreadsheets, which is so time consuming, I’m able to log into the system and go straight to it. It just makes it so easy to see that snapshot of where all the sites are at – as they’re getting activated – and where we are.”
Ria Westergaard, agrees. “I can relate all too well to Kim’s comments about spreadsheets and various tracking mechanisms,” she says. “That’s where I really think a PRP is beneficial for combining all of the different sources of data. Evernorth is not looking to recreate the wheel. We want to partner with companies that already have a good solution in place.”
Westergaard also comments that patients today expect complete transparency around their data. But being open can also be positive for recruitment:
“Patients demand to know how we receive the data and as many details as possible that we can provide about the study. What the time commitment and compensation will be, what’s going to happen to their data. [If we can] shape that, it will return higher response rates and higher engagement along the way.”
The benefits of PRPs
Next, the panel discusses the benefits of using a PRP. Alycia Ketter, tells the panel how a single platform with real-time data is crucial for recruitment sites to streamline the process and keep stakeholders well informed.
“Having that single platform not only helps with the smooth recruitment process for all stakeholders involved,” she says, “but it also helps you to see the real-time data of what is happening in the campaigns that you’re running. What is working and what’s not, and where you need to focus more of your energy.”
Matt Walz, CEO of Trialbee, a patient recruitment platform technology provider, shares his thoughts on how to effectively work in this space: “Detailed pre-screening activities means research sites can quickly look at a patient and get an idea of their profile without having to re-ask a lot of questions.”
Walz adds that a key benefit of a PRP is the ability to see real-time analytics and drive insights to improve enrolment and patient matching. In today’s world, he says, the patient populations for a compound are getting smaller, and more targeted therapies are making it difficult to manage the system.
“Research sites are working to find patients for all of the studies they’re working on. So, sponsors and CROs are hiring companies to help send additional patients to the site. Whether that’s digital advertising, traditional media, communities, big registry companies or advocacy groups, all of these are additional feeds of patients to the site, but that’s getting overwhelming very quickly,” Walz explains.
He adds that patient recruitment at research sites is a time-consuming process, with disparate formats and data points making it difficult to understand the process, creating a lack of control around enrolment activities. Trialbee’s Honeyaims to address this issue by bringing all stakeholders into a single platform and allowing researchers to view all referrals, from all sources, to see real-time data on patient dropout rates and waiting times.
“A good PRP brings all that together, allows patient flows to come in, through websites and imports, then does standard online assessments and secondary assessments, with live medical qualification before the patient goes to site,” Walz informs the panel.
“This allows you to drive a lot of good trend analysis, feedback and optimisation back into the system – so you get better at recruiting and enrolling as you go, while you also take a lot of pressure out of the system.”
Challenges and considerations
When it comes to implementing PRPs, Farrell reminds the panel that there are some challenges, including finding a unified ideology among stakeholders, and addressing busy sites with a lot of responsibility that change is crucial. Training and education are essential, she warns, and meetings should be set up to discuss the platform’s purpose and address any lack of understanding.
Westergaard adds that when recruiting for a study, it is very rare that you can use one vendor to recruit all the patients:
“There’s a multitude of vendors who are going to be recruiting for the study, so this really decreases the risk for everyone involved, most importantly the sponsor who can be more well informed on how quickly the study is recruiting and how many patients to allocate to which vendors. You can make real time decisions about how well the study is progressing and how well the recruitment is going.”
Walz also reminds everyone that it is not just about technology:
“What makes this type of platform different is the expertise of the people. The technology is just a medium that brings all the stakeholders to work more effectively together, but it is absolutely the experience of the people involved that makes a difference in clinical research.”
Measuring success
Finally, Kuhner asks how we can measure the success of these platforms? Walz takes up the challenge:
“The quick answer is you ultimately enrol your studies better. That tells you that implementing a system like this is working, but that takes a long time. One of the key metrics we zero in on with the Honey product is the referral to consent ratio for a given indication. We can look at those benchmarks [to see if they] improve.
“The second thing is, are you able to plan your next study better? Those two things are really critical. I think if you can look across a lot of studies and derive those kinds of results, that makes us much more efficient as an industry and provides greater potential.”
Farrell added one final note:
“I would like you to remember that behind every data point, behind every metric, behind every report, there’s a human being, and with clinical trials, the ultimate, overarching goal is to help people live a joyful and fulfilling life without pain. And how we do this is by finding solutions, and the best way is to have access to reliable data.”
Trialbee’s Honey platform is a vendor-agnostic, stand-alone Patient Recruitment Platform that creates a single recruitment funnel to provide unprecedented transparency, actionable data insights, and reliable ROI reporting. To find out more, download the guide below.
[i] https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/features/clinical-trial-terminations/
