Mobile apps are pivotal to patient recruitment & retention in clinical trials, we have done research on changing trends &d challenges in clinical trial patient recruitment & retention.

1. Why Current Trials Are Not Yielding Results?
Improve Clinical Trial
Participation
With Mobile Apps
Mobile apps are pivotal to patient recruitment and retention in clinical trials. We have done research on
changing trends and challenges within clinical trial patient recruitment & retention. Here are a few insights
on what sponsors & CROs are missing.
Challenges In Patient Recruitment
60% 72% 28%
Web-Based
Sources
Patients Already
on CROs
New Visitors
on CROs
46% Internet20% Physician
Referrals
36% Media 21% Mail32% E-mail
Traditional
Recruitment Methods
Inadequate knowledge about
available treatment options
Lack of awareness and access to
clinical trials
Lack of effective communication
and cultural differences
Poor understanding of the risk
and benefits of clinical trials
Fear and distrust or suspicions of
research
As patient recruitment & enrollment tools are critical to the success for any clinical trial, retaining patients
in clinical trials is equally challenging. Keeping patients on a protocol from start to finish presents its own
set of challenges, and has following focus areas:
Apple’s ResearchKit - ResearchKit is being touted as having immense implications for the future of clinical trials.
ResearchKit provides a framework for developers to build apps that help in managing trial process, contribute trial
data, ease patient enrollment and conduct studies for clinical research. Clinical trial apps created with
ResearchKit are already producing medical insights and discoveries at a pace and scale never seen before.
Lengthy Trials Complex Trial Designs Lack of Motivation
Unexpected Risks
Delayed Reimbursements for
Study Costs to Participating Patients
Adverse Events Poor Communication of
Trial Outcomes
$
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
30%
80%
50%
32%
69% 80% studies fail to meet recruitment
timelines
30% of phase III terminations are caused
by enrollment difficulties
50% of research sites enroll one or no
patients
69% of non-participation is lack of
awareness about the trial taking place
32% of the trial budget is patient
recruitment cost
100%
Attraction
• Provide relevant study material to the participants
• Contact participants based on geographical proximity to
relevant sites
• Share trial details via email, sms, facebook & twitter etc.
Engagement
• Study site, give medication reminders & refill alerts with native
calendar integration
• Travel assistance tips for study site
• Use multilingual platform
• Inspiration & information tips & messages
Enrollment
• Use videos to better explain study enrollment & protocol criteria
• Surveys for participants to fill in initial enrollment criteria data
• Provide means to easily contact study site from within the app
Retention
• Gaming features to engage younger, tech savvy participants
• In-app incentives that can be redeemed at desired stages of
the study
• Chat facility with online support groups
• Customizable modules for a personalized experience
ResearchKit focuses on following aspects:
Inform about trial study Screening & Enrollment Collect data from
m-health apps & other devices
Create surveys Data Management
& Analysis
Where Do Your Patients Come From?
Impact On Trial Outcomes Due To Trial Process
Delays
How Mobile Can Help?
Apple’s Research Kit
Value Adding Technology To Mobile Apps
• e-Recruiting Using Digital Platforms, Social Media and Mobile Technologies to Improve Clinical Trial Enrollment - inventivhealth.com
• CISCRP - clinical trial information seekers
• The Pulse on Global Trials By Matthew Howes
• Appliedclinicaltrialsonline.com/recruitment-roles
• Elizabeth Wilson - Tips for Success - Patient Recruitment in Clinical Trials
• Patient Recruitment & Clinical Vendor Fees Top Clinical Trial Cost Drivers - cuttingedgeinfo.com
• Apple ResearchKit- www.apple.com/in/researchkit/
• Macworld.com - Stanford's ResearchKit app
Source
www.diaspark.com/mobility
Stanford University was able to recruit 11,000 participants for a heart disease study in
just 24 hours using Apple’s ResearchKit.