8December - 2021IN MY OPINIONHarnessing Big Data to Accelerate Clinical Trial RecruitmentBy Leigh Householder, Executive Vice President, Omnichannel Strategy; Claire Riches, Senior Vice President, Global Solutions; and Brooke Belk, Vice President, Program Strategy, Syneos HealthThe pharmaceutical industry's reputation is more positive today than it has been in a very long time thanks to its response to COVID-19. But now that the bar has been raised, expectations have been raised as well: If we can develop a vaccine in a year, why can't we shorten drug development timelines overall? Some of the highest costs and potential risks of conducting a clinical trial involve those associated with patient recruitment and retention. In a 2018 analysis, researchers found that a full 50 percent of clinical trials globally are extended due to poor recruitment performance. Delays are costly when study recruitment and enrollment are not completed on time or when sites do not meet their recruitment numbers, sometimes putting the study itself in jeopardy. The delay of a potential drug can cost as much as $8 million per day in some cases. Competition for patients is intense. A relatively untapped resource is the many healthcare professionals (HCPs) who practice within reach of trial sites and might consider referring
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