Dec 13, 2017
By Sandy Chase
Applied Clinical Trials
Like so many of my colleagues in the world of clinical patient recruitment and retention, I spend a lot of time contemplating data points. Key performance indicators. Screen fail rates. Randomization numbers. Retention rates (and their dubious sibling, drop-out rates). I’ve learned that data points which surface predictably in recap decks, often paint an unfinished picture.
Of all the data points available to us, my mind frequently drifts to an unnecessarily elusive nugget of key information: the voice of the patient. As the practice of patient centricity gains traction, patients are sometimes asked for feedback on draft protocols. Clinical trial simulations can provide input on study design and recruitment, but sponsors rarely seek to understand the experience of the patients actually taking part in their clinical trials. Too often, patients vote with their feet by dropping out before completing a study. Which leads me to wonder:
