Building Stronger Relationships with Patients for Trials Success

Patients are increasingly gaining a more active role in clinical studies. To boost engagement, trial owners are using a patient-centered clinical trial design that considers the patient’s goals and preferences during the Veristat trial. Also, the trial design looks at the patient’s values and general well-being while ensuring absolute transparency throughout the trial.

For this reason, investigator-patient relationships are changing, and ideas like patient empowerment and shared decision-making are quickly becoming a reality. That begs the question; what must you include in your clinical trial planning to build stronger relationships with patients and drive success in the trial? Let’s look at some approaches you can use to connect with patients and drive success in the clinical trial. 

How to build stronger relationships with patients in a clinical trial

To fully engage patients in a clinical trial, they must trust you and believe that the right person is journeying with them through the research. Using some of the tips below can help you initiate the crucial bond that engages recruits in the study. 

Ensure open communication reigns throughout the research

Strong, lasting relationships are based on clear communication between the trial participants and staff. Be straightforward from the beginning regarding the trial’s procedures, potential risks involved and the benefits patients will get from the clinical research. Ensure the consent form is detailed, simple, and as brief as possible. Most importantly, give patients enough time to understand the content in the consent document and help them make informed decisions. To engage the patients more, arrange an in-person meeting explaining the trial’s general overview. Doing this shows that you care about them as the study’s participants, which builds a strong bond and trust. Additionally, you can encourage them to share their expectations or ask any trial-related questions before and during the research. The goal here is to invite them into your position of power and make them feel valued through inclusion. 

Improve access to clinical research

Statistics indicate that 70% of people believe that patients require more opportunities to participate in clinical studies. For this reason, a highly accessible clinical study retains enthusiastic patients that are happy to participate. But how do you make your trial accessible? Choose a suitable site that’s convenient for participants. For example, a trial site in an area with a good transport network and near the participants’ residence is easily accessible to keep patients engaged throughout the process. 

Assess patients’ experience 

After the clinical trial, it’s crucial to get feedback from patients to learn about their experiences and opinions during the clinical trials. As a result, you’ll get the information you need to design better future clinical studies that engage the patient more. That way, your current patients can easily participate again or recommend your trials to friends and family members. Research shows that 97% of participants would probably recommend clinical research—the more you engage them, the more referrals you get. After all, your current research is probably not the last one you’ll conduct. To assess patients’ experience after the study, use questionnaires or online surveys. 

Building a strong relationship with patients is the key to a successful clinical study. To achieve this, foster transparency before and during the trial, improve trial access, and assess patients’ experience after the study.