The Challenge

Dr. Bruno Roseguini from Purdue University partnered with Trialfacts to improve patient recruitment for a clinical study requiring participants to attend five clinic visits and undergo a 90-minute daily treatment for 12 weeks. Recruiting eligible participants proved challenging, as the study demanded strict adherence to protocol, fasting requirements, and travel commitments.

To improve recruitment efficiency, Purdue partnered with Trialfacts to implement a structured phone-screening pilot program designed to further qualify referrals before they reached the clinic.

Before Trialfacts began supporting the screening process, the research team faced several obstacles:

• Eligibility Data Gaps – Many applicants didn’t know current lab values (e.g., A1C/fasting glucose), making pre-qualification slow.
• Participant Logistics – Travel was a major hurdle. Fasting requirements compounded this challenge, often forcing long delays before morning visits.
• Engagement & Communication – Many potential participants went without timely follow-up due to limited team capacity. Those who were reached often had questions or misconceptions about the study, such as believing that an initial phone call meant they were already enrolled rather than still in the pre-screening stage.

Baseline Metrics:

The Trialfacts Approach

Trialfacts launched an 8-week phone-screening pilot tailored to the study team’s needs:

• Systematic Outreach: Every referral was contacted via calls, SMS, and email, including those previously labeled “unreachable.”
• Structured Screening: The dedicated phone screener used the study team’s Eligibility Checklist to verify lab values and apply immediate disqualifiers.
• Participant Education: Each participant received a clear explanation of the trial in plain language, along with the study brochure PDF. Key details such as travel, fasting, and treatment schedule were emphasized.
• Objection Handling: Common concerns around travel distance, time commitment, and fasting requirements were addressed upfront.
• Clear Handoffs: Only participants who passed the phone screen were referred to the study team, with their preferred appointment windows and completed checklists. While Trialfacts typically books appointments directly, in this study scheduling was kept with the site team to align with their preferred process.
• Transparent Reporting: Weekly updates were shared with the study team, along with referral tracking sheets, ensuring complete visibility.

The Results

Within five weeks of Trialfacts’ involvement (July 8 – August 15, 2025):

• Contact Rate improved to 80% (from 67%).
• Phone-Screen Pass Rate increased to 57% (from 50%).
• Conversion rose to 34%, nearly doubling the baseline.
• Referral targets were met early, giving the client confidence to pause additional recruitment until after clinic screenings.

Client Impact

By taking on the time-intensive task of outreach and pre-screening, Trialfacts enabled the study team to focus their efforts on clinic-level assessments with participants who were already informed and likely eligible. This streamlined recruitment, reduced staff burden, and accelerated progress toward enrollment goals.

• Only fully vetted, informed participants were handed off for scheduling.
• Communication became smoother, with participants entering clinic visits better prepared and more committed.

“In brief, adding a phone screening agent has been extremely positive. Because I’m still directly supervising data collection I have limited time to dedicate to screening. The dedicated phone screener effectively filled that gap and increased our recruitment success. Her persistence in making multiple call attempts made a clear difference. By the time referrals reached us, participants were more engaged and had a better understanding of the study. She’s doing an excellent job, and I’d certainly be open to including this service in future recruitment campaigns.”

– Dr. Bruno Roseguini, Purdue University

Key Takeaway

When clinical trial recruitment depends on unqualified referrals, unreachable patients, and inconsistent screening, studies can stall and costs escalate. Trialfacts’ structured phone-screening service doesn’t just improve efficiency—it directly impacts the bottom line:

• Lower Cost Per Enrollment: By nearly doubling the conversion rate at Purdue, fewer referrals were needed to achieve recruitment goals, reducing cost per enrolled participant.
• Faster Recruitment Timelines: With more participants meeting eligibility and moving forward, the site was able to progress candidates to clinic screening more quickly, keeping enrollment milestones on schedule.
• Time Savings for Site Staff: Purdue’s coordinators no longer spent hours chasing referrals. Trialfacts’ team handled initial education and screening, freeing site staff to focus on clinic visits and consenting.
• Higher ROI: With a 65% improvement in Cost Per Enrollment, the study team maximized the value of their recruitment budget. Hours that would have been lost to chasing unqualified or unanswered referrals instead translated into real enrollment progress and measurable financial savings.

Trialfacts’ systematic approach delivered a 65% improvement in conversion rates for the study team — turning potential bottlenecks into a streamlined, cost-efficient recruitment pipeline.

Interested in optimizing your patient recruitment? Contact Trialfacts to learn how our proven screening strategies can help your study succeed.