Case Study 1: Recruitment Issues – International Device Company

The Challenge

Have you ever had a study faltering on recruitment issues, perhaps a study that got off on the right foot but then seemed to slow down or even hit the wall?

If so, read on. A study BELTAS had conducted in sites across New Zealand and Australia began well with excellent initial recruitment figures. However with over a dozen sites in New Zealand and Australia, it became apparent that while the early lead sites were doing well, others were not meeting the targets they had set for themselves.

The Response

1. BELTAS promoted cross-site communication through weekly teleconferences, with the high recruiting sites sharing their experiences and tips with those who were newer to the study and less familiar with it.

2. A monthly newsletter was established to reinforce key messages from the teleconferences, reiterate notices from the sponsor and monitors, and provide an overall perspective including targets and graphs of progress.

3. BELTAS retrained sites where this level of intervention was identified as necessary largely due to personnel changes.

4. Strong project management practices were applied to co-ordinate activities, set clear deadlines, review budgets, make quality improvements in practices, and manage stakeholder communications.

The Results

• Recruitment improved, the study reached its full quota of patients 3 weeks ahead of the revamped schedule, with a steady increase in recruitment as the project progressed
• Monitoring followed closely on final 30-day visits, allowing data to be in-house and locked, less than 90 days after the last subject was recruited to the study

Client Feedback

“I’ve read your reports and they are very good. You are doing exemplary work”
- Client Clinical Affairs Manager

"I've read your reports and they are very good. You are doing exemplary work"

- Client Clinical Affairs Manager