Revolutionizing patient recruitment experience in trials using the design-thinking framework

In an evolving healthcare ecosystem, it can be challenging to consistently deliver the most effective and efficient care. Design thinking can be an enabler to improve clinical outcomes in healthcare by potentially benefitting the design of new health products, processes, and devices. Clinical trials are vital for enhancing medical knowledge and development of new therapies. However, one of the most persistent challenges faced by sponsors and researchers is the process of patient recruitment in clinical trials. Effective recruitment strategies are crucial for the success of clinical trials, as inadequate enrollment can lead to delays, increased costs, and trial abandonment. Despite decades of efforts to address this issue, the struggle to find eligible patients, high screen failure rates, and competing sites for the same patient pool continue to plague the industry. Patient-centric activities to streamline study recruitment and enroll diverse patient populations have been explored. However, the outcomes of these initiatives have not been as expected, highlighting the need to explore these innovations further. Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving that emphasizes empathy, collaboration, and iterative testing. We feel it can offer novel insights into patients' needs and behaviors, leading to more engaging and effective recruitment strategies. This article explores the potential of design thinking as a transformative approach to tackle the challenge of patient recruitment in clinical trials, by examining its principles, processes, and benefits. Through this article, we aim to enable sponsors, patients, sites, and contract research organizations (CROs), to enhance enrollment in clinical trials by humanizing the patient trial experience.