Originally Published MX November/December
2001

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Budgeting and
Contracting for Patient Recruitment

Once all decisions
regarding the recruitment tactics to be implemented have been made, the clinical
trial sponsor has in hand the most important information necessary as a basis
for determining an appropriate recruitment budget. The investment in tactics—in
marketing the trial to patients—may very well be the most significant expense
in that budget. This is especially true for campaigns that rely heavily on paid
television advertising, a notoriously expensive tactic.



In the highly competitive and rapidly growing field of clinical trials, creating
a patient recruitment budget and considering contracting options is becoming
increasingly important. Clinicians, administrators, sponsors, and others involved
in clinical trials must think strategically in deciding when, where, how, and
why to budget and contract for patient recruitment.² The following
areas of growth and change in the budgeting and contracting process need to
be considered when planning a new study.