Welcoming New Investigators Into the Fold

The results are in, and your investigational product is viable. You’ve figured out the best dosage, got the green light from the FDA, and you’re ready to start setting up for a Phase 3 study. At this stage,?you’ll probably start looking for sites.?Only, you may run into a snag. Some sponsors discover a little late that?finding qualified investigators interested in your study is not always easy.

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Healthcare has been far from immune to the recent challenges nearly all industries face with higher turnover rates, increased burnout, and subsequently reduced capacity for additional work. While this leads to logistical challenges for study coordinators,?PI engagement is also at risk despite being equally, if not more, critical to the success of a trial.?Then, of course, there’s also the matter of physicians who either haven’t had the opportunity to participate in research or aren’t interested.?But what are some of the reasons physicians don’t get involved in clinical trials?

For physicians who have never worked on an industry-sponsored clinical trial, there is a great deal of uncertainty around how clinical research works,?unfamiliarity with smaller biopharmaceutical companies, and discomfort with patient recruitment, particularly in specialties where long-term patients with chronic conditions are generally well managed. This is where outreach and relationship development becomes essential for sponsors to foster.

Get physicians engaged with conferences and round table discussions. Invite physicians from various practices and regions to consult on your advisory board as you’re developing your protocol. Make every effort early on to bring awareness to your research efforts and the benefits you hope to get to patients.

Through engaging with physicians, even those who have less experience with clinical trials, you’re building lasting relationships and a bridge to new opportunities and new sites. Of course, even after outreach, not all physicians may want to become PIs, and that’s okay. But by cultivating that initial familiarity and understanding, you will grow your network of possible investigators and become less reliant on CRO databases of PIs you’ve never met, who may or may not be motivated to see your trial succeed.

P.S., We have an?extensive physician network?and, more importantly,?experience building these connections from scratch. Reach out to us if you want to?tap into new investigators; we employ an automated site outreach and analytical qualification process to help analyze your sites better.