Our first Summit is a wrap! Our inaugural event brought together our community of industry leaders, researchers, and patient advocates for a day of discussions and collaboration. Our focus on patient-centricity resonated throughout the event as we explored strategies to enhance patient engagement and diversity in clinical trials.

We started the day with a session on diversity and inclusion in clinical trials. Attendees shared their experiences and challenges in site selection, patient access, and building trust with diverse communities. We discussed the need for our industry to recognize that achieving diversity goals often requires additional time, resources, and new approaches.

Dr. Josephine Grima, Chief Science Officer from the Marfan Foundation, gave a presentation on patient advocacy in rare disease research. She provided valuable insights into their approach to patient engagement and clinical trial recruitment, emphasizing the unique challenges faced in rare disease studies. Dr. Grima also highlighted the vital role patient advocates play in advancing both research and care in the rare disease space.

We were excited to have Niki Quirk, our Manager of Product & Strategy, present our first patient survey of clinical trial participants. The results revealed altruism as a primary motivator for trial participation, which started a thought-provoking discussion about how patient motivations might vary across different types of studies and disease states. Survey results also showed patients’ preference for trial flexibility — 73% of participants said they favor trials with remote visit options, and 46% prefer trials lasting less than six months, demonstrating how important it is to design trials that accommodate patients’ lifestyles.

Our final presentation was on patient retention throughout the trial process. We explored the use of engagement centers and various communication channels and the importance of regular, personalized interactions to maintain participant commitment. Practical considerations, such as consent management for follow-up communications, were also part of the issues addressed.

To close the Summit, we shared our roadmap, showcasing the innovative solutions we’re set to launch in the coming months. We also presented more details about our recently announced collaboration with Cambridge Cognition to accelerate the clinical recruitment process for central nervous system (CNS) studies. 

We’re grateful for the engaged participation and insights shared by our colleagues in Raleigh. To learn more about our upcoming events, including future Summits, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.