Participant recruitment and retention: an insight into a key variable

Participant recruitment and retention are two crucial aspects of conducting clinical studies. They significantly influence the success and validity of a study.

Participant recruitment

Participant recruitment refers to the process of identifying, approaching and enrolling suitable subjects or patients for a clinical study.

This process includes:

• Determination of inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Development of recruitment strategies
• Screening of potential participants
• Informed consent and obtaining informed consent

Efficient recruitment is crucial in order to reach the required number of study participants and thus ensure the statistical significance of the study. This can present challenges:

• Finding a sufficient number of suitable participants
• Mapping the target population
• Precise approach
• Overcoming reservations about clinical studies
• Ensuring a representative sample

Participant retention

Participant retention refers to the measures taken to ensure that the recruited subjects and patients participate in the study until completion. This is important for:

• Minimising data loss
• Maintaining the statistical significance
• Ensuring the validity of the study results

Strategies to improve retention can include

• Regular, empathetic, professional and appreciative communication with participants
• Sufficiently comprehensive, but not too extensive questionnaires
• Incorporation of playful and motivating elements
• Technical support according to the needs of the participants
• Flexible and suitable scheduling for study visits
• Digital study implementation
• Provision of support and resources for participants
• Appropriate expense allowances

Both recruitment and retention require careful planning and can be optimised through the use of modern technologies and computerised systems. For example, electronic health records and centralised trial registries can facilitate the identification of suitable participants, while digital communication tools can improve participant retention. Successful participant recruitment and retention is crucial for conducting high-quality clinical studies and thus for the further development of medical treatments and products.

Can we support you too? You are welcome to arrange a first non-binding appointment here.