Developing Clinical Trial Recruitment Materials

Introduction

Patient recruitment is a critical stage of any clinical trial and can be one of the most challenging. Clinical trials must target the right patients, and patients need to feel well informed when making the decision to participate. At all stages in the recruitment process, clear and consistent communication is key. It is imperative to keep the patient’s best interests at heart, with messaging that matters to them. Here we describe our approach to developing both patient and healthcare professional (HCP)-facing materials to assist with clinical trial recruitment.

Client

A global communications group working with a growing biopharmaceutical company and a Top 10 pharmaceutical company

Challenge

Author copy for a suite of print, digital, and media asset documents for patients and HCPs across two different companies to aid clinical trial recruitment campaigns. This included flyers, posters, a study trial card, a listing for an advocacy group site, HCP referral letter templates, webpage text, study brochures, study visit guides, and a consent tool.
Summarise and simplify complex protocols into clear, comprehensive information for patients and HCPs that informed without overwhelming.
Work at a fast pace with multiple moving parts. Up to 12 copy documents in each project were under the draft, review, and amendment cycle at one time, alongside their corresponding design PDFs. Amends on one document, from large re-structuring to small word-change tweaks, could have ripple effects on multiple other documents.
Work using different client SOPs and document management systems, including version control.
Adapt language and navigate country-specific regulations and requirements.
Incorporate changes from protocol amendments mid-way through each project.
Liaise with the design team to align copy with creative and visual messaging.

Approach

Checked in with the project manager daily to set priorities, ensuring we were working to agreed timelines, and that next-stage actions were swiftly implemented.
Developed a lexicon of agreed terminology from the onset so that all documents were consistent and aligned.
Worked chronologically through the materials as the patient would engage with them through the recruitment process, ensuring that messaging was consistent but not repetitive.
On first draft and throughout, we took time to place ourselves in the patient and HCP’s shoes – what would we want to know if we were considering taking part, or considering referring our patients? We were mindful not to assume the patient’s lived experience, paying close attention to the patient and HCP perspectives and insights that were made available from the client, or from our own research.
Closely inspected the protocol amendments, and amended all documents where relevant, so that information was accurate and up to date.
Completed fine toothcomb consistency checks for alignment across materials before they were sent to the client.

Result

Delivered two large, complex suites of recruitment campaign materials across multiple channels including print and digital.
Swiftly adapted multiple documents to align with protocol changes with accuracy and timeliness.
Met tight deadlines, adhering to the client timelines to allow progression of the clinical trials toward their planned recruitment schedule.
Discussed continued support to develop additional copy documents to complement the suite of campaign materials including social media and paid search ad copy.