Recruitment and retention may appear to be simplistic in their primary functions. However, for these two processes to be successful, they must be applied in a way that resonates with the individuals that are stepping up to participate, whether that be out of a desire to impact the health of others or to provide treatment options for their own health condition. By adding people to the equation, we are adding variables of infinite complexity. Thus, an absence of process or lack of experience in one area can significantly affect others, leading to a cascade of problems that undermine recruitment and retention plans.
Neuroscience trials struggle to show benefit because symptoms are subjective and variable, and eCOA strengthens dossiers by standardizing ClinRO administration, capturing outcomes in real time to reduce recall bias, and adding patient and caregiver perspectives that clinician scales miss.
Community participation gaps look less like a question of patient willingness and more like a financing and infrastructure problem that no single bill has yet solved.
In today’s ACT Brief, we examine what changes when AI is embedded across clinical operations, why faster trial data isn’t yet producing faster decisions, and how FDA granted accelerated approval to a therapy for a rare airway disease.
Data capture is no longer the bottleneck, and whether the lag between a signal and a decision shrinks depends on signal design, AI governance, and vendor orchestration.
In this Q&A, Rajneesh Patil, global head of AI, digital, and innovation in clinical development at Syneos Health, discusses what changes when AI is embedded across protocol strategy, data infrastructure, and workflow tools at once, where governance frameworks tend to fall short, and why CROs must orchestrate AI ecosystems rather than simply aggregate them.
In today’s ACT Brief, we examine what policy changes would help community and rural institutions join research, how Walmart is expanding clinical trial centers into three more states, and how FDA approved Ilumya for adults with active psoriatic arthritis.
The planned sites in Livonia, Las Vegas, and San Antonio would expand a partnership that places clinical research and health screenings inside Walmart stores.
In this video interview, Kent Thoelke, CEO of Paradigm Health, calls for safe harbor protections, CMS reimbursement safeguards, and funding mechanisms modeled on EHR meaningful use to help community and rural institutions participate in research on par with academic centers.
