The Right Start: Optimizing Trial Recruitment Through Earlier Planning and Patient Identification

Optimizing study start up is critical to help improve clinical trial success. Yet, up to 70% of the time, trials experience enrollment delays and up to 20% of sites recruit zero patients. These delays can rarely be recovered later in a trial. Waiting until sites are activated before turning the focus to patient recruitment is a common pitfall in study execution.

By integrating the planning for patient recruitment and retention earlier in the study design and start-up process, we can capitalize on proven and innovative approaches that allow faster patient identification and enrollment. This can speed the time to first patient in, improve site performance, and shorten overall recruitment timelines.

This webinar will focus on newer patient recruitment techniques that can be implemented much earlier in the process. These methods work in concert with selecting the right countries and sites that have the needed patient population, while also enabling pre-identification of patients to allow screening and enrollment to begin immediately upon site activation. Specifically, the presenters will describe how to:

• Implement pre-enrollment registries to identify patients who can be approached with current and future clinical trial opportunities
• Use Electronic Medical Records and other available data sources to improve selection of the right sites, and then prioritize site activations for fastest FPI
• Front-load recruitment by providing sites with new tools to pre-identify patients from their existing database for screening immediately upon site activation
• Monitor early indicators of enrollment and implement direct-to-patient programs to supplement recruitment, based on pre-defined triggers

Case examples will be shared that demonstrate these techniques in practice, as well as perspectives from more than 9,500 investigators on their needs, experiences, and preferences.

Speakers

Chris Frega, Sr. Director & Head of Global Feasibility and Patient Recruitment, Quintiles

Chris Frega oversees the Global Feasibility & Patient Recruitment functions at Quintiles. His department is an integral part of clinical trial design and planning, trial conduct, and determining patient availability and the best methods to reach, enroll, and retain those patients. Key responsibilities include providing optimal country and site distributions, identification of pitfalls / minimization of study risks, patient recruitment estimates and predictive modeling, and patient recruitment techniques. Chris has been integrally involved and led work streams on defining new models of strategic partnerships with key customers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business and an MBA degree from St. John Fisher College.

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Julie Parmelee, Director, Patient Recruitment, Quintiles

Julie Parmelee is involved in the planning of clinical development programs and is responsible for developing patient strategies to support the recruitment and retention goals of Phase II-III studies across a wide range of indications and geographies. To identify the unique challenges of each protocol or program and drive innovative solutions, she leverages data-driven insights from patients, investigators, and in-country regulatory specialists together with the operational and therapeutic expertise across Quintiles. Julie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising from Ferris State University and has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare marketing including clinical research, diagnostics, pharmacogenetics, and patient communications.

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Bernadette Tosti, Director Business Development, Health Engagement and Communications, Quintiles

Bernadette Tosti brings nearly 10 years of healthcare marketing, clinical trial recruitment and retention, and digital recruitment technology experience to her role at Quintiles. Bernadette is responsible for Health Engagement & Communications’ clinical business development including strategic insight on pre-identification and pre-recruitment solutions. Previously, Bernadette served in patient recruitment and product marketing roles in various organizations. During her tenure at Quintiles, she has helped develop innovative technology solutions for recruitment of patients into clinical trials and supported development of Quintiles’ patient communities. Bernadette has spoken at several industry conferences on the impact of patient recruitment and retention solutions on clinical trial enrollment performance.

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