4 reasons why you need to apply marketing tactics to your clinical trial
“Our future success is directly proportional to our ability to understand, adopt and integrate new technology into our work.” – Sukant Ratnakar – CEO, Quantraz Inc.
Recruiting can be one of the most challenging aspects of a clinical trial. It is also one of the major reasons why a trial may be terminated.
Inadequate recruitment can lead to inconclusive results. It can also delay the delivery of potentially life saving treatments to patients who need them most.
So, how can marketing and communication tactics help clinical trials?
Optimise recruitment by reaching only qualified patients
Having an ample amount of qualified participants enhances the quality of your work and research outcomes.
This starts with knowing who your audience is, and where they are online, and how to reach them.
Marketing and communications is driven by consumer data which can give us a detailed picture of our audiences.
By being able to identify and segment audiences, you are able to effectively identify and recruit patients who qualify for your study.
Save money and time
Research and clinical trial budgets can be tight.
Media tactics such as brochures, TV, and radio have been used by trial sites to publicise and recruit for trials. However, these tactics can be costly and ROI isn’t always guaranteed.
Whilst websites and social media are generally free or low-cost, they also provide more targeted avenues for reaching qualified patients quickly and efficiently – saving you valuable time and money.
Maintain engagement
Patients may see your communications and show interest. But, it’s still possible they will forget about it, miss an email/call/visit, or unenroll from the study.
Following up on current and prospective patients can be time consuming.
Automating this process through popular communications technologies can save time and reduce the risk of patients falling off the radar.
Improve public perception
There are many public misconceptions around clinical trials: they’re dangerous, not covered by insurance, provide no patient benefit, and only available to those who live near a major hospital (to name a few).
You can build trust with patients and influence positive perceptions towards your trial. By knowing which platforms they use, you can communicate the benefits of your trial and address any queries or concerns directly. This can increase their awareness of your trial whilst strengthening your credibility.
Conclusion
Marketing and communications is essential for your research and clinical trials to achieve its aims.
Increasing public awareness and education of clinical trials helps to increase participation and commitment to advancing medical science.
You can develop these skills and learn how to optimise your recruitment process, meet deadlines and drive success for your site in our Engaging Communities and Key Stakeholders workshop.
More info and to enrol here