Site optimisation is a critical yet often under-addressed challenge in clinical trials. At its core, it involves selecting the right sites from the outset and equipping them to efficiently deliver trial goals — particularly around patient recruitment and retention. But the reality is far more complex. A staggering 80% of trials fail to recruit enough participants, 85% fail to retain them, and dropout rates average around 30%. Sites are under immense pressure, facing operational inefficiencies, staff shortages, and increasingly complex protocols. These issues are not easily solved — but in this session, we’ll explore how collaboration with UK primary care can begin to shift the dial.
We’ll start by examining site selection. What makes a site truly viable? Experience, access to the right patient population, and resource availability are key. Yet traditional feasibility assessments often rely on self-reported data and rough estimates, especially around patient population size. Without access to comprehensive data, sites may overestimate their recruitment potential, leading to flawed strategies and costly delays. In this session, we’ll explore how this cycle plays out and why it’s so difficult to course correct once recruitment begins.
We’ll also demonstrate how primary care data can transform site optimisation. UK GPs are the custodians of rich, cradle-to-grave patient records that can help to accurately identify high-potential candidates for trials. By applying coded searches to this data, we can refine eligibility estimates and improve recruitment forecasting. We’ll also show how primary care’s broad geographic coverage supports diverse representation and targeted cohort engagement. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to leverage this data to improve trial outcomes.
Key Learning Objectives
- Understand the impact of poor site selection on clinical trial recruitment and retention, and why traditional feasibility methods often fall short.
- Explore how primary care data can enhance site optimisation, offer more accurate patient population insights and reduce recruitment risk.
- Learn how Optum’s Recruit solution leverages lifelong patient data and secure healthcare record sharing to identify high-quality candidates with precision.
- Discover how embedding Recruit within the UK’s leading GP clinical system enables access to an engaged, nationwide network of primary care sites, supporting smarter, scalable trial delivery.
Join us to discover how primary care collaboration can unlock smarter site selection and more reliable recruitment strategies. Register now to learn how Recruit — our clinical trial recruitment solution embedded in the UK’s leading GP system — can help you identify eligible patients with precision and confidence.
