Patients are more aware than ever of clinical research. Ensuring this increased awareness translates into more efficient trial enrollment will require adaptable strategies that reflect today’s changing attitudes, behaviors, and motivations. As many research sites begin to test the waters of reopening, sponsors and CROs are looking to their global enrollment partners for much-needed support.
Question: My clinical trial is still recruiting patients with an active media campaign, though some of my study sites have closed and others remain open. How should I adjust my media strategy?
Answer: Prioritize site-level micro trends.
Most importantly, we need to recognize that sites process referrals at different rates—that’s not a new phenomenon related to the pandemic. But it’s truer than ever before, and the differences are dramatic. Even within a single geography, you may see sites who remain shut down completely alongside sites who have increased their screening capabilities.
Analyzing trends at a macro or geographic level, then, is insufficient. Now, more than ever, micro trends at the site level are invaluable drivers in maximizing the value of your media dollars. Spending money on advertising for sites that are closed is a waste of money and time—for sponsors, sites, and patients alike. But shutting down media for an entire market when there are active sites within that market is also risky and may unnecessarily negatively impact enrollment.
Media teams must be able to make fact-based decisions about how best to adjust media to maximize ROI for sponsor partners: not simply by turning a market off or on, but by fine-tuning media spends to respond to capacity and capability on a site-by-site basis.
Question: How will changes in patient behavior impact my study?
Answer: Patient travel habits and travel restrictions will be in flux, keep track of the latest updates.
How far is your patient willing to travel for their study visit? If the answer to that question has changed in the past few months—and across the globe it likely has—you will need to make adjustments to campaign media placement.
If you are months or even years into a campaign, and your ad placement is geo-targeted to within an X-mile radius around your sites, you may be operating on data that is no longer valid.
You may also need to consider whether the addition of patient transportation support—in the form of public transit cards, ride-sharing reimbursement, or parking assistance—is worth reevaluating, as attitudes about transportation have changed.
Question: How will social distancing impact advertising and patient communications?
Answer: Study advertising and patient communications must be updated to reflect current times.
Social distancing may be a new normal for months or years to come. This new normal will have a direct impact your creative choices. If your advertising shows people extremely close together, at concerts or in other large gathering spaces—they may not feel as relatable as they once were.
Data from our research indicates nearly 70% of people are now more interested in participating in a clinical trial as COVID-19 news boosts awareness of clinical research. The public’s newly heightened sense of altruism creates an advantage to those who can successfully channel it throughout creative campaigns that match the times we live in.
Study communications may also benefit from being reexamined. Sites may need to be explicit about newly implemented hygiene practices or reassure patients that they are taking necessary safety precautions.
Question: How can I keep interested patients engaged during COVID-19-related delays?
Answer: Convert more referrals by adjusting appointment schedules.
In one ongoing study, we made the decision to continue our advertising amidst the COVID-19 disruptions in the US. We saw an initial surge in patient interest, but it coincided with a drop in the rate at which appointments were being scheduled. Patients were more active online, but once faced with the prospect of going to a medical facility, they were abandoning the prescreener or otherwise not converting into a referral.
An important shift at sites, then, is to encourage sites to contact patients and attempt to schedule appointments much further out than normal. We saw a marked increase in the number of appointments being set once we advised sites of this adjustment: the negative trend rebounded once we modified the site-patient interaction.
Question: How can I jump start enrollment once my study sites re-open?
Answer: Ensure quality referrals by implementing additional screenings.
Sites are operating with limited bandwidth—a recent Continuum site survey showed nearly half of sites reported reduced staffing. Supporting sites by investing in secondary screening directly reduces site burden by ensuring the patients who attend screening appointments are highly qualified. The addition of this secondary screening or telehealth call prior to the initial site visit also improves campaign ROI by ensuring that we are not simply buying media, but engaging with patients directly, and only getting high-probability patients into a site. Read more on how to lessen site burden caused by COVID-19 here.
Looking to the Future
Patient behavior has changed. Patients are more active online, so initial data may show that your campaign is performing well in terms of impressions. But are those clicks turning into referrals? Where are patients falling out of the funnel? A rapidly changing environment requires an evaluation cycle that checks for trends and anomalies continuously. Consistent contact with study sites will allow you to identify micro adjustments that will optimize strategies.
