A while back I ran across an article that was commenting on how pharma companies weren't using the internet to its fullest potential and were missing opportunities to fill the roles of their clinical trials. I was contacted by Libby Kearney and I asked her if she could provide an article that would explain the situation. Fortunately she obliged and here is what she has to say on the subject.
Recruiting Patients for Clinical Trials on the Internet
by Linny Kearney
The Internet is one of the last places pharmaceutical companies utilize when recruiting patients for clinical trials studies. But, according to Experian Research Services, the most competitive recruitment tool available today is the Internet.
Find how and why. Download free whitepaper from Experian Research Services.
Chris Wilson, president of Experian Research Services, explains that 85 percent of patients in the U.S. research their ailments online, providing online access to a motivated pool of clinical trial patients. “This unparalleled platform for screening large numbers of potential patients in short periods of time is reducing the cost of clinical trials. When pharmaceutical companies think about patient recruitment they think about investing the bulk of their budget into traditional marketing channels like radio, television and direct mail,” said Wilson. “These traditional forms of marketing are still relevant; however, they need to be supplemented early on with targeted recruitment via the Internet.”
Jody Vinci, director of sales for Experian Research Services, added that limiting patient recruitment to mass media channels such as radio, television and direct mail, isn’t reaching targeted patients in time. “Nearly 80 percent of all clinical trials fail to meet their patient enrollment deadlines. As a result, delays continue to rise along with the demand to find patients for specialized testing,” she said. “The need to find a resolution quickly is costing some pharmaceutical companies a staggering $8 million each day a drug is delayed in trial. Instead, pharmaceutical companies should integrate the Internet into their patient recruitment plan during the beginning phases, not after it’s too late.”
The biggest benefit for patient recruitment companies is that every dollar spent online is targeted at patients who are already participating in a permission-based survey system, receptive to e-mail communication and who suffer from specific aliments. Few survey Web platforms provide a one-to-one recruitment tool with lead generation turnaround as soon as 72-hours in some cases.
Experian Research Services attracts more than 1 million visitors each month to their online platforms; of those, half of a million participate in more than 25 different surveys; and of these 200,000 are new consumers. “We are able to search their consumer database and match patient profiles that meet the specifications of the clinical trial,” explained Vinci. “These individuals, who are suffering from diabetes or any health-related matters, want to be heard. Emotional motivation kicks in and keeps consumers engaged. More than 85 percent of U.S. patients research their conditions on the Internet, creating an accessible and motivated pool of potential trial study patients,” said Vinci.
I found it quiet interesting that a medium that is as used for communication and networking as the internet is, that pharma hasn't researched using it to their benefit other than as a promotional and advertising tool.
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