Our Director of Global Patient Retention and Compliance, Jessica Wollman, recently presented at the Patients as Partners US conference (7-9 April 2021).
Jessica’s presentation focused on the main reasons patients drop out of clinical trials, and the steps we can take to reduce the burden on patients and increase study retention rates.
Read the transcript:
Hello, my name is Jessica Wollman and I’m the Director of Global Patient Retention and Compliance for patientprimary, part of mdgroup.
mdgroup offers a variety of patient support services and solutions to maintain patient retention rates and improve the overall experience for people participating in clinical trials.
Some of the most common challenges leading to increased patient dropout rates include:
- Scheduling constraints or forgetting appointments
- Personal family matters or lack of familial support
- Site accessibility
- Inconvenient site locations (or other geographical barriers preventing attendance to required study visits)
- Financial constraints
- Fear and anxiety related to new diagnosis
- Being physically unable to attend study visits
- Lack of appreciation from site staff
- Unrealistic expectations of the clinical trial’s requirements
Positive and full patient participation is crucial for the success of clinical trials. However, involvement is a significant commitment. Offering Patient Support Services reduces the burden to patients and directly impacts study recruitment and retention rates.
Patient-focused trials recruit double the number of patients in almost half the time.
Geographical barriers can be eliminated by providing travel and accommodation bookings, including ground, rail, air and hotel itineraries. Patients who utilize travel support services acknowledge they’re able to focus on what really matters – their treatment – and not have to stress about their journey to the clinical trial site.
Financial barriers are eliminated by providing rapid reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses via flexible payment methods, or by supplying stipend payments for successful completion of visits related to the study protocol’s visit schedule.
Home healthcare can also be offered to ensure patients are attending critical study endpoints while remaining in the comfort of their own home.
When patients are given these elements of control, it enhances their overall experience throughout their clinical trial journey and eliminates any obstacles they might face in order to continue their participation. All these considerations result in successful clinical trials and high patient satisfaction.
Thank you.
