A major factor that can affect the success of a patient recruitment project is the number of people who express an interest in participating, but are then unable to be contacted to arrange an initial site visit.

In many of the trials I’ve worked on, this can represent well over half the people who submit an application. Which obviously leads to a reduced number of potential participants – even though these are people who are aware of the trial and want to take part.

In order to reduce this number of ‘non-contactable’ people, a swift follow-up to their initial application is key. For immediate engagement, this follow-up method can be done by automated text or online chat (whether live or via a chatbot). Each of which methods enables instant interaction with the person volunteering for the trial, which can significantly increase the likelihood of them becoming a participant.