Maximizing patient retention with investigator feedback

Following a very successful patient recruitment period, a pharmaceutical company’s clinical operations team wanted to reduce the risk of patients deciding to prematurely discontinue a clinical study. To increase the likelihood of maximizing patient retention, the team set the following goals:

1. Gathering feedback from study investigators on best practices, patient assistance services, and study support materials
2. Gaining insight into patient and caregiver experiences
3. Identifying gaps or opportunities for additional patient support

The clinical operations team used the Within3 insights management platform to gain insights from investigators across multiple study sites. Questions included “What do you think could be the main reason for patients to discontinue this study prematurely?” and “What material provided for the study do patients find useful?” Investigators were able to complete the survey whenever it was convenient for them, on any device, including tablets and smartphones. Moderators used the platform’s capabilities to probe for more information or provide additional context when needed. The moderators also could ask private questions, which allowed investigators to be completely candid in their responses or to have short one-on-one discussions with moderators.

The clinical operations team received responses from investigators around the world. Investigators provided detailed information about patient experiences with clinical site visits, assessment materials, support materials, and other aspects of the study. The clinical operations team obtained valuable information to improve patient retention, including:

1. Suggestions for clinical site visits to improve the experience for investigators, patients, and caregivers
2. Insights on additional patient support materials to increase the likelihood of continued participation
3. Feedback on operational aspects of the study to apply these learnings to future studies