How to Address Key Clinical Trial Challenges, According to Clinresco Centres in South Africa

There’s no single solution to overcoming a research site’s specific clinical trial challenges. “Overcoming our challenges requires a multi-pronged approach,” said Dr. Jennifer Rosa, general manager and medical director at Clinresco Centres in South Africa. Specifically: “Educating both patients and doctors, creating awareness through targeted outreach, ensuring accessibility, actively marketing research sites to sponsors, and utilizing media platforms to spread the word.”

Clinresco Centres conducts studies in a variety of patient populations and therapeutic indications. These include inflammatory bowel disease, with a focus on ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease; rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis and osteoarthritis, including studies to assess novel therapies for pain management; diabetes mellitus (type 2), focusing on glucose control and long-term outcomes; hypertension, heart failure, and hyperlipidaemia, with a focus on lipid-lowering treatments and their impact on cardiovascular health.

Rosa, who works as principal investigator and also supports the site's marketing and outreach efforts, among other roles, shares more about her team’s multi-pronged approach to problem-solving.

Targeted education improves patient awareness of trials.

Rosa: “For patients, it’s crucial to provide clear, understandable information about what participation entails, how it can benefit their health, and how trials are regulated for safety. To further spread awareness, we recently participated in a radio interview to discuss the importance of clinical research, explain the process of trial participation, and address common misconceptions.”

Strategic resources and collaboration facilitate physician referrals.

Rosa: “For doctors and specialists, offering ongoing training and resources about available trials helps them stay informed and better able to refer their patients. We do community outreach, collaboration with local healthcare organizations, leverage social media platforms and visit local doctors at their practices, at times convenient to them.  We create a supportive environment for doctors to refer patients with confidence by simplifying paperwork, providing referral incentives, and being easily contactable.

“One particular [recruitment] method we use that I’d like to elaborate on is our model of having local GPs be sub-investigators on our trials. We have a team of local GPs who have full-time private practices in the areas surrounding our site, and they work as sub-investigators on all our trials. This mutually beneficial arrangement allows them to be involved in the clinical trials and see their patients who they refer for the trial visits, while increasing recruitment onto our trials. The sub-investigators have access to their whole patient base, are well-educated on the trials, and have a pre-established rapport with their patients.”

Strong connections with sponsors and CROs ensure trials are readily available for patients.

Rosa: “Actively marketing Clinresco Centres to sponsors and CROs can ensure that there is a steady stream of trials available for patient recruitment. We maintain good working relationships with our current sponsors and CROs and demonstrate the value and experience of the site, show how patient enrollment is efficiently managed, and highlight Clinresco's ability to reach diverse patient populations. This builds credibility and attracts more sponsors for future trials.”

Social media and steps to remove logistical barriers ensure more equitable and accessible trials.

Rosa: “Social media and online recruitment campaigns allow us to reach a diverse patient base and provide easily available platforms for patients and their families to learn about trials. We do our best to remove logistical barriers by offering transportation assistance, flexible scheduling, and financial support to make participation easier for patients, particularly those in rural or low-income areas. We build trust by fostering transparency and clear communication. We encourage patients to discuss their participation with their family members, and to bring them to visits if they want, to participate in informed consent discussions and ask questions in person.”

The team’s use of StudyTeam technology improves patient tracking and followup during recruitment.

Rosa: “It allows the whole Clinresco Centres team to have a readily available overview into a particular study with respect to recruitment and enrollment. One particular feature that we love is the ‘Update Sponsor’ button. This allows us to conveniently update the sponsor on our prescreening, screening and enrollment activities, while maintaining patient confidentiality.

“We enjoy that the sponsor can be updated easily while keeping personal patient information confidential. We also use the feature where you elaborate on the reason for prescreen/screen failure, so the sponsor can see the most common reasons for patients not making it onto the trials.”

Ultimately, the challenges in clinical trials can lead to great rewards.

Rosa: “The work is both challenging and stimulating, and I love the opportunity to contribute to new advances in medical science. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of research that can make a real difference in people’s lives. One of the things I really enjoy is spending extended amounts of time with my patients — this is a luxury that can be difficult to achieve in private practice. I cherish the deeper relationships I can build with them during their clinical trial participation. I also love the variety in my role; no two days are ever the same, and the diverse tasks keep things interesting and engaging. It’s particularly fulfilling when a patient benefits from being part of a clinical trial, knowing that the treatment or approach they are receiving could be a breakthrough for them or for future patients.”

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