Do you find clinical trial patient recruitment and retention a challenge? Do you struggle with large volumes of digital referrals during the enrollment phase? Do you wish you had more time and resources to dedicate to participants so that they feel well-supported and unlikely to drop out of your studies early? We know clinical trial patient recruitment and retention can be challenging, so we are delighted to announce a new service to help you improve engagement with participants from the beginning of your trial to the very end.

Introducing Innovative Trials’ Navigator service

Choosing to enroll in a clinical trial is a big decision for patients and their loved ones. They are likely to have lots of questions and the process can sometimes seem daunting and confusing. Without the right support at the right time, people risk feeling overwhelmed or even invisible. If they don’t get the answers or help they need they may eventually drop out, risking the future of the entire study.

Our Navigator service focuses on giving clinical trial participants the support they need when they most need it. It starts the moment they express an interest in joining a trial and ends when the study does. In this way, they feel supported and heard at every turn and are more likely to remain involved.

Supporting patients throughout their clinical trial journey

Our Navigator service has been developed with study participants, their caregivers, and their families at its center. We know they are likely to have questions about the treatment being investigated or the clinical trial process in general. They may need help to set up any digital devices being used in the trial. They might simply want appointment reminders. Our Patient Navigators can help with all of this. At the pre-enrollment stage, our Navigators, who are all experts in clinical research, based locally within each country and speak the local language, will manage the pre-screening process for digital referrals from first contact to the screening visit. This will ensure sites receive higher quality and engaged referrals, and minimize the risk of delays. Once the study begins, our Patient Navigators can provide personalized retention support to participants, their caregivers and their families – similar to a helpline service. They can answer questions about the trial or clinical research more generally, and provide assistance such as regular check-ins with patients – especially useful if you have a long-running study over several years. 

How our Navigator service can benefit you and your studies

Our Navigator service boasts a number of benefits for patients, sites and sponsors. The ability to offer day-to-day support at such a micro-level as part of your studies will:

  • mean clinical trial patients feel informed and valued
  • build trust and a positive relationship between participants and sites
  • enable any potential issues to be dealt with quickly, ensuring the trial runs as smoothly as possible
  • ensure patients remain involved in the trial until the very end, and
  • free up research staff to focus on the science and other areas of care. 

And of course, the impact of our Navigator service can go far beyond the clinical trial it is commissioned for. People who have had a positive experience are more likely to share their experiences and encourage others to get involved in clinical research, aiding recruitment for future studies. Clinical trial success can hinge on effective patient engagement. Let’s work together to make sure your study participants feel supported every step of the way, boosting your clinical trial patient recruitment and retention and helping to accelerate the development of new treatments.

Find out more about how our Navigator service can benefit your clinical trials.