Another aspect of collaboration that can deliver better outcomes is to have the various stakeholders in the patient recruitment and retention process working together.

I’ve often discussed how I’m an advocate for including patients and research sites when designing trial protocols.

And I would expand this to include having solutions providers also making a contribution, such that the trial sponsor benefits from the expertise of those who are ‘on the ground’ when it comes to trial operations and the recruiting and retaining of trial participants.

Taking this kind of holistic approach can be very useful for spotting potential issues and problems before they arise. For instance, based on their experience with previous trials, patients, sites, CROs and solutions providers can highlight areas that are likely to be detrimental to achieving the desired results.

So long as the approach adopted is truly collaborative, rather than combative, having multiple stakeholders working together can be very effective.