It is tempting to believe that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) can solve the pharmaceutical sector’s most persistent challenges when it comes to clinical trial patient recruitment and retention. After all, AI’s ability to analyse large datasets has the potential to identify eligible patients faster, and large language models (LLMs) and machine learning (ML) are able to power chatbots and personalise communications to help keep participants engaged.

There is much to be celebrated about the potential of AI to accelerate drug development and bring valuable new treatments to market more quickly. However, one of the most important lessons we have learned in our 15 years in the clinical trial patient recruitment and retention business is the power of human connection. This is especially true for rare disease trials where patient populations are typically small and barriers to participation can often be more complex.

In the latest issue of the Journal for Clinical Studies, our founder and CEO, Kate Shaw, discusses why empathetic human-to-human engagement cannot and should not be underestimated, and why clinical trial success hinges just as much on human connection as it does on technological advancements.

Read the article now: ‘Supercharging rare disease drug development through human connection’

The future of clinical trial recruitment is not about choosing between AI and human connection. It’s about harnessing both. At Innovative Trials, we combine digital approaches with empathetic human connection to optimise patient recruitment and retention and ensure every participant feels supported throughout their clinical trial journey.

Read our article in the Journal for Clinical Studies and contact us to find out more about how we can help you bring life-changing treatments to patients faster through our human-powered in-country site support, community engagement and patient support center.