In March 2026, Clariness attended the Patients as Partners in Clinical Research event in Boston, one of the leading global forums dedicated to advancing patient-centricity in clinical trials.
Clariness was proud to be part of the conversation, joining industry peers, sponsors, and, most importantly, patients as lived experience experts. The conversations at this year’s event made one thing clear: the industry is moving beyond the idea of patient-centricity as a guiding principle. Instead, is it becoming an operational reality – with measurable impact on trial design, recruitment, and outcomes.
Below, we share some key moments and a recap of PAP 2026.
Key takeaways from PAP 2026
- Patient involvement must start early
Patient engagement is most impactful when it begins at the protocol design stage, not at recruitment. Treating patients as lived-experience experts early on helps create more feasible, relevant, and patient-friendly trials. This ultimately reduces amendments and accelerates timelines.
- Patient-centricity is still inconsistent in practice
While most organizations recognize the importance of being patient-centric, execution remains uneven across the industry. There is a clear gap between intention and implementation, highlighting the need for more structured, actionable approaches.
- Patient experience is becoming a performance driver
Patient gratification, including clear communication, respect, and overall experience, is no longer a “nice to have.” It directly influences recruitment, retention, and trial outcomes. Sponsors are increasingly expected to measure and optimize this experience.
- Reducing patient burden is a top priority
The industry is actively working to fit trials into patients’ lives through decentralized models, flexible scheduling, and smarter processes. Reducing burden is not just about convenience, it is essential for improving participation and retention.
- Patients are now active partners in research
A key shift highlighted at PAP 2026 is the growing role of patients as active contributors rather than passive participants. Sponsors are expected not only to listen, but to act on patient insights, making collaboration with patients a new industry standard.
Patient Perspective: A story that stayed with us
One of the most powerful moments of the event was the keynote featuring Inaaya Sahariq, (Lived-Experience Expert & at iCAN Illinois KIDS Member), a young patient advocate whose story deeply resonated across the audience.
At just 11 years old, Inaaya was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. After years of chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, and ultimately choosing amputation at 15, she faced challenges most adults couldn’t imagine. Her journey didn’t stop at survival. Through participation in a clinical trial, Inaaya gained firsthand insight into the realities of research, as someone navigating the system from the inside.
Now a survivor and advocate, she shared what it truly means to have and sometimes fight for a voice in your own treatment. Moderated by Wendy Erlel, SVP, Patient Affairs, Sarepta Therapeutics, this session brought forward something we heard repeatedly throughout the conference: Patients generally have a bad experience in clinical trials.
This is not because of lack of intent, but because systems are still not fully designed around real patient needs.
Reducing patient burden technologies: A quickfire pop-up session
Clariness participated in the ‘Reducing patient burden’ quickfire session, led by Jenn Curry, Head, Patient Engagement Capabilities, Biogen; where selected companies presented a two-minute pop-up session on solutions to designed to reduce patient burden in clinical trials.
Representing Clariness, George Dorsett, SVP, Sales, Marketing & Growth, focused on a key message: reducing patient burden is not about reinventing the system, but about optimizing every interaction patients have along the recruitment journey. He highlighted three core ways Clariness is helping make clinical trial participation easier and more patient-friendly:
1. Human, medically qualified pre-screening
Patients want to be treated as individuals, not as entries in a funnel. By embedding medically qualified professionals, such as neurologists and registered nurses, into the pre-screening process; Clariness ensures patients receive informed, personalized interactions from the very first touchpoint. This builds trust and improves the overall clinical trial experience early on.
2. Simplifying access through one-click medical records
Medical record retrieval is often a major source of friction for patients. Clariness addresses this through a streamlined, one-click process, reducing effort while giving patients greater confidence that they are eligible, and that their time will not be wasted progressing through the trial.
3. Reducing friction with centralized scheduling
Patients should not feel like they are being passed from one stakeholder to another. Clariness, through its Instant Connect solution, takes ownership of scheduling the first site visit, ensuring a seamless transition into the trial. Data shows that when Clariness manages this step, patients are three times more likely to be randomized compared to traditional site-led scheduling.
With over 300 million patients having engaged with ClinLife® to explore clinical research as a care option, the approach is grounded in experience: small, thoughtful optimizations across the patient journey can significantly reduce burden and improve outcomes.
Closing note
Ultimately, the session reinforced a key message: reducing patient burden starts long before a patient enters a trial, and thoughtful, patient-centric recruitment strategies are a critical part of the solution.
Patients as Partners 2026 reminded us that progress is being made, but also that there is still work to do. If there’s one takeaway to carry forward, it’s this: Patient first. Always. Because when we truly listen to patients, and act on what we hear, we don’t just improve trials. We improve lives.