Designing virtual investigator meetings to share interim study results, gather clinical feedback, and build momentum for patient recruitment
GOALS
A medical affairs team within a global pharmaceutical company needed to conduct a meeting to communicate interim results from a long-term study that required regular touchpoints. The goals of the meeting included:
- Highlight forthcoming initiatives to optimize patient enrollment/retention and data entry
- Obtain feedback on local barriers to strengthening patient recruitment and data entry, plus tactics to overcome these
- Share interim results from the study through data presentations
SOLUTION
The team used the Within3 insights management platform to communicate the results to the global group of investigators. Engagement is key to motivating participating study sites, so the virtual advisory board needed to offer credible peer-to-peer exchange and value to participants.
The team worked with Within3’s client success organization to design an over-time session where investigators could log in and participate conveniently from any connected device. This allowed the global group of participants to participate fully in the session activities regardless of location or scheduling constraints. The session was open for 30 days, and investigators were asked to interact during two 10-day time windows.
During the session, investigators viewed a call-to-action video that included an update on patient enrollment status, issues and challenges for data entry and patient enrollment, initiatives to overcome these challenges, and a call to enroll patients in a specific treatment protocol to collect pharmacokinetic data.
The investigators also took a short survey to provide input on barriers to patient recruitment and enrollment. Survey questions were multiple-choice and only viewable by the session moderators. Additional clinical questions were open-ended and viewable by all of the investigators. Finally, the investigators could view the interim study results in video and slide deck formats and download a short presentation with instructions on requesting study data.
RESULTS
The structure of the virtual investigator meeting supported the goal of strengthening patient recruitment in clinical trials. It provided ample opportunities for the investigators to read and view resource material, consider discussion questions, provide input, and interact with their peers. Moderators could observe the discussion and prompt individuals for more details when appropriate. Periodic email digest notifications updated investigators on the latest meeting activity as well as their own to-do list if necessary.
