Patient recruitment for atopic dermatitis clinical trials
Patient recruitment for atopic dermatitis clinical trials
With 500+ dermatological clinical trials underway, there is intense competition to find eligible patients – we know how to find them first.
Currently, there is no cure; existing treatments aim to ease symptoms and reduce the severity and occurrence of acute flares. Despite recent advances in dermatological medicine, such as the development and approval of novel biologic treatments, patients still have a high unmet medical need and experience significant impacts on their quality of life. Having performed atopic dermatitis patient recruitment for 20+ international trials (including both adult and adolescent patients), we know how to find the right candidates for your study.
Reach atopic dermatitis patients of all ages
As the most common skin disease in children, atopic dermatitis has historically been considered a pediatric disease, with a prevalence of up to 20% in certain countries. However, the condition can develop at any age: 1 in 4 adults report adult-onset of initial symptoms, with an estimated global prevalence of 1-10% in adults. Additionally, recent studies suggest a second peak in incidence after 60 years of age.
Despite being disproportionately affected, both children and older adults are underrepresented in atopic dermatitis clinical trials due to, for example, difficulties in approval from government regulatory bodies and strict I/E criteria. In the USA, the FDA only approves certain medications in different pediatric groups after initial approval in adults; while a systematic review of inclusion criteria in clinical trials on systemic atopic dermatitis treatments found that 34% of trials explicitly excluded older adults (Lam et al., 2020).
That’s why at Clariness, we target both patients and caregivers and have successfully recruited adolescents for atopic dermatitis clinical trials. In a recent atopic dermatitis patient insights survey (with 4,959 respondents), we were able to reach patients and caregivers of all ages:
Our digital targeting techniques
We have four ways of targeting patients and caregivers when performing Atopic dermatitis patient recruitment, and continuously review performance to optimize engagement and trial registrations.
Location and capacity targeting
Migraine patients living within a predesignated radius around active sites are targeted with a variety of advertisements in the local language and based on the local patient profile, that are activated and deactivated based on site referral volume.
Interest-based targeting
Patients searching or engaging (e.g., likes, shares, comments, etc.) with content related to atopic dermatitis, eczema, allergy asthma, dermatology, and skin problems are targeted with social media outreach.
Demographic targeting
Gender, age, and other demographics indicators are used as filters to target patients that likely fit the study criteria, with these aspects included in each and every one of our screeners.
Behavioral targeting
We continuously analyze the behavior of those who did, and didn’t register, for trials to target patients with similar behaviors to boost conversions and improve ROI.
Special screening techniques
Our targeting techniques drive high volumes of traffic to our customized screeners, leading to more referred and randomized patients for atopic dermatitis studies.
We designed a BSA (Body Surface Area) pre-screening questionnaire to identify symptom severity during phone screening with a customizable threshold (e.g., BSA > 8%) based on specific protocols. This allows us to provide high-quality referrals to sites and limit study delays by ensuring that more patients are consented and randomized.
.
Finding patients aligned to your protocol
Patients with atopic dermatitis experience unpredictable and highly variable signs and symptoms. Some studies suggest that >40% of patients with atopic dermatitis suffer from moderate to severe disease. Those with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis are also more likely to have higher medical costs, miss work, and be less satisfied with their treatment.
Our recent atopic dermatitis patient survey found that 55% of respondents (out of 4,959) rated their atopic dermatitis as moderate, with 18% rating it as severe. Additionally, >50% of respondents would consider participating in an atopic dermatitis clinical trial, with 20% indicating they are “very likely” and 36% reporting they are “likely” to do so.
Our survey results show that we can reach patients with mild to severe stages of disease who are interested in clinical trial participation. Our Chief Medical Officer will review your protocol and align with our patient recruitment team to develop methods that will ensure successful patient recruitment.
We understand that no two atopic dermatitis studies are the same
From social advertising to screeners and site services, we customize and align all study services and materials to your target audience.
We understand the impacts of local culture, languages, and participation willingness and adapt accordingly to ensure we refer patients that meet your protocol’s requirements.
Here are three different advertising creatives used within the same market, but with different targets at the focus of each campaign. This allows us to capture the attention of a broader range of patients and caregivers for your clinical trial.
Download our atopic dermatitis case studies
Learn how we’ve supported sponsors with their patient recruitment for atopic dermatitis studies, across the globe, resulting in more engagement, more referrals, at less than the budgeted costs:
- Total investment per patient 50% lower than planned
- Recruitment targets exceeded using 73% of budget
- Exceeded patient targets using 50% of budget
- Our campaign generated >365,000 ClinLife website visits
Are you designing an atopic dermatitis study, or have one underway?
We can help you find the right patients, at the right time. Contact us to find out more about our atopic dermatitis patient recruitment today.