48%
of sites miss their enrollment target.
In a typical trial, 11% of sites enroll no patients and 37% under enroll, according to Tufts CSDD's study of nearly 16,000 sites (source).
Most sites recruit from their own records and from advertising. TrialNotice adds the source most sites leave untouched: local physicians who manage your study population every day. We match the right physicians to one active study, send study aligned outreach, track who engages, and route warm responses to your site team.
The share of sites that enroll no patients at all has not changed in 20 years, according to Tufts CSDD's Ken Getz (source). Most sites work hard. What they lack is a steady inflow of patients who may qualify.
In a typical trial, 11% of sites enroll no patients and 37% under enroll, according to Tufts CSDD's study of nearly 16,000 sites (source).
Physicians refer a median of five patients into trials per year, even though 90% are comfortable discussing trials (source, source).
In CISCRP's 2017 study of 12,427 people, most said they would begin a clinical trial search by asking their doctor (source).
Strong sites work all three. Most sites only work the first two.
Chart review against the protocol's criteria is fast and inexpensive. Its limit is volume: once your panel is screened, it does not refill quickly.
Social and search ads reach people who self identify with a condition. They can create volume, and every response still has to be screened against the protocol.
Physicians who manage the condition can send patients with an established diagnosis. The barrier is information and time, which is exactly what structured outreach solves.
Every step is tied to the study, the patient profile, and the site's enrollment geography.
We identify local physicians and practices relevant to the active study, patient profile, specialty, and driving distance from the site.
A direct mail letter explains the study in physician relevant language: the condition, what kind of patient may fit, where the site is, and how to refer.
Each letter carries a unique QR code, so the site sees which physicians engaged and can prioritize follow up.
Email, LinkedIn, and SDR follow up keep the study in front of physicians who were interested but busy.
Scans, replies, and interest signals flow into the site's CRM, CTMS, calendar, or coordinator workflow.
Research backed articles. Every statistic links to its original source.
The three patient sources every site can work, and the one most sites underuse.
What the Tufts CSDD data says about under enrolling sites and what a site can control.
Which physicians to contact, what to send them, and how to keep them referring.
The real reasons behind the 0.2% referral rate, and the fixes.
Verified Tufts CSDD figures by phase, and what they mean for sites.
A four step plan to diagnose the funnel and add patient sources.
Rescue options from funnel diagnosis to physician outreach funding.
Why screen failure averages 36.3% and how referral quality cuts it.
What CISCRP data shows about how patients find studies.
Why the common $6,533 figure does not hold up, and how to calculate your own.
What research says about online and offline recruitment channels.
What the AMA, FDA, and IRBs say about finder's fees.
Clinical trial patient recruitment is the work of finding people who may qualify for an active study and getting them to the research site for screening. Sites usually draw from three sources: their own patient records, advertising, and referrals from physicians who treat the condition.
Tufts CSDD found that in a typical trial, 11% of sites enroll no patients and 37% under enroll. Stricter protocols and dependence on a single patient source are common causes. Physician referrals are the most underused source: physicians refer less than 0.2% of their patients into trials, mostly because they lack study information and time.
Referring physicians already manage patients with the condition being studied. When they receive clear study information and a simple way to refer, they can send patients whose diagnosis is already established. In CISCRP research, 58% of people said they would begin a clinical trial search by asking their doctor.
TrialNotice builds a physician referral pipeline around one active study. We identify relevant local physicians within driving distance of the site, send study aligned direct mail, follow up by email and LinkedIn, track engagement with recipient level QR codes, and route warm responses into the site team's workflow.
TrialNotice helps clinical trial sites reach matched local physicians with study aligned direct mail, QR tracking, email, LinkedIn, and SDR follow up.
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