Behind every clinical trial is a human story. Researchers and sponsors aren't simply managing data—they're racing against time to bring pivotal therapies to patients who are waiting, hoping, and depending on life-changing medical advances. Yet, they face an almost insurmountable challenge: participants walk away from trials.
Meanwhile, professionals like you invested years researching, securing funding, and developing a potentially revolutionary treatment, only to watch it all unravel because participants find the process too complex or overwhelming. It’s not a hypothetical scenario. It's the reality for 85% of clinical trials struggling with participant retention.
But why do participants leave, and how can a flexible eCOA solution reduce these risks while improving retention? Let’s break it down.
Examine the High Costs of Losing Participants
Every time a participant drops out—nearly 1 in 4 participants—the trial loses valuable data. Not only that, sponsors must replace that participant to properly power the study. Recruitment isn’t cheap—it’s a costly and time-intensive process. According to The Institute for Safe Medication Practices, the estimated total cost per clinical study patient was $41,413. Consider the costs of recruiting a replacement participant for a patient who drops out of your study.
Besides significant costs during the recruiting process, these challenges cascade throughout the trial: 90% of studies face delays because of failed enrollment, retention challenges, and unusable data from dropped participants. So, why are participants leaving in the first place? It comes down to convenience and communication:
Logistical Burdens: Long travel times to study sites, inflexible schedules, and complex protocols make participation feel like a second job. According to researchers at the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD), the burden on participants in Phase II and III trials has risen by 39% since 2019 due to increased core and noncore procedures, leading to higher dropout rates.
Lack of Communication: Participants often feel trial coordinators leave them out of the loop and unsupported, reducing participant commitment. The stress of managing trial demands alongside their daily lives causes reported drop-out rates of 25%–30%, and in some cases, a massive 70%.
Trials targeting cancer patients and other specialized patient groups face extra barriers. Even in oncology, where clinical trial participation has improved significantly to 7.1% for treatment trials and up to 21.9% across all research studies, keeping participants engaged throughout the trial remains crucial. Logistical challenges, inadequate information, and the terminal nature of some conditions further limit recruitment and retention.
Tools that reduce participant burden are especially valuable in these complex therapeutic areas.
Bridge the Gap with Engaging, Patient-Centric Approaches
Participant retention in clinical trials requires more than effective recruitment—it demands tools and strategies that make participation in a study more flexible and less of a burden for patients.
Flexible eCOA solutions offer patient-centric approaches to bridge the engagement gap. A more seamless experience significantly reduces attrition rates and lessens financial and operational risks for sponsors.
Simplify the Patient Experience
Making clinical trials easier for participants isn’t just about convenience. It’s about ensuring scientific success. According to Tufts CSDD, over 45% of Phase II and Phase III site visits now take over two hours—which is nearly triple the 17% that saw such lengthy visits just a decade ago.
This increasing time burden only contributes to concerning participant attrition rates. Consider these statistics from a study published in “Perspectives in Clinical Research” that highlight a range of issues impacting patient retention:
55% of participants felt unsupported by the research team
47% struggled with study procedures or had to relocate
44% were concerned about side effects
27% lacked support from their regular healthcare providers
Using modern eCOA features that offer a variety of options for participants to provide qualitative and quantitative data with clinical team members remotely via televisits, texts, emails and more, participants can complete critical trial activities from the comfort of their homes instead of trekking to an appointment. Reducing travel makes staying in a clinical trial more sustainable for participants managing chronic illnesses or complex schedules, like parents juggling work and family responsibilities.
Improve Communication and Engagement
Clear, consistent communication is a cornerstone of participant retention. Avoca Quality Consortium (AQC) conducted a study revealing that up to 39% of patients feel their healthcare providers don't fully understand their condition. This communication gap can be even more pronounced in clinical trials where participants must manage complex protocols while dealing with their health conditions.
Digital tools can’t replace the human understanding needed between providers and patients, but they can help patients feel supported in their day-to-day trial experience. Interactive chat features and educational resources help keep participants informed and engaged with trial requirements. Automated reminders and notifications also ensure the participant remembers to complete tasks that provide data that helps the doctors understand their condition.
These tools create a consistent support system that helps participants feel connected to the trial team throughout the trial.
Eliminate Attrition Risks in Trials with eCOA Solutions
As clinical trials continue to become more complex, the financial risks of participant attrition become greater. Flexible eCOA solutions address the challenges most likely to drive participants away. Beyond eCOA, there are a variety of features and solutions that help make trials more accessible and less likely to drop out. Administering remote assessments, arranging home health visits, and streamlining communication all help reduce dropout rates while maintaining data quality.
Even a slight improvement in retention rates can save millions of dollars across a large trial. More importantly, eCOA solutions help life-altering medical research proceed without delays and potentially expedite the development of treatments for patients who need them most.
As healthcare continues to adopt tech advancements, patient-centric clinical trials are becoming the new standard. The question isn’t whether to adopt these tools but how quickly to implement them to protect the scientific integrity and financial viability of your clinical trials.
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