Patient Recruitment Leaders Form National Steering Committee

PHILADELPHIA, PA (May 13, 2009)-A new advocacy group, The Patient Recruitment Organization (PRO) Steering Committee, has been formed to represent the international patient recruitment and retention industry. The committee's goal is to identify and address ongoing issues to help strengthen this niche industry. The group convened recently in Philadelphia to discuss core issues impacting patient recruitment organizations.

The PRO Steering Committee comprises a select delegation of patient recruitment leaders. The first summit was held April 16 at the Westin Philadelphia and drew executives from top patient recruitment organizations, including D. Anderson  Company (DAC), Fleishman-Hillard Clinical Trials Division, Healthcare Communications Group, On The Scene Productions, Inc., (Pi) Patient interaction, RxTrials, and The Patient Recruiting Agency£ (TPRA). The event was co-hosted by Dallas, Texas-based DAC and Austin, Texas-based TPRA.

"Our discussions centered on several market trends which underscore the need for greater collaboration and cooperation among PROs," said Diana Anderson, Ph.D., president and CEO of DAC.

TPRA President Lance Nickens added, "It is exciting that competitors can come together in an effort to uplift the industry. By uniting in this way and jointly participating in education and standardization, we can influence everything from public perception to public policy."

The committee identified five areas of interest for advancing the patient recruitment and retention industry, namely, whether to form a professional trade organization; risk sharing; identifying industry trends; expanding globally; and improving how patient recruitment organizations work with stakeholders, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organizations and clinical trial sites.

The PRO Steering Committee's next steps include broadening participation in the committee to other patient recruitment organizations and developing a position paper summarizing their strategies. The group will hold monthly teleconferences and re-convene in person within 12 months.
About The Patient Recruitment Organization (PRO) Steering Committee:

The PRO Steering Committee is an ad hoc group of professionals who lead patient recruitment organizations. The goal of the committee is to work together to address issues and trends that impact the provision of their patient recruitment and retention services globally.