
News|Articles|April 20, 2026
Applying Behavioral Science to Improve Clinical Trial Design and Execution
Author(s)Andy Studna, Senior Editor
Behavioral science reveals how recruitment failures, site disengagement, and underrepresentation in clinical trials are rooted in early design decisions, and what sponsors can do to address them before they become costly problems.
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Slow recruitment, high dropout, and persistent underrepresentation are among the most costly and enduring challenges in clinical research. Behavioral science offers a framework for addressing them not as isolated operational problems, but as predictable consequences of how trials are designed, sites are selected, and patients are engaged.
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