Depression Clinical Trial Recruitment Across 22 U.S. Sites, Compared to the Industry Average

Overview

A leading pharmaceutical sponsor partnered with ClinicalConnection to accelerate enrollment for a multi-site depression clinical trial. The study involved 22 sites across the United States and aimed to identify qualified participants through targeted outreach and high-visibility online promotion.

Depression trials often face challenges such as identifying motivated candidates, ensuring geographic coverage, and maintaining engagement throughout the screening process. ClinicalConnection was tasked with driving high-quality referrals that would result in higher-than-average randomization rates for this study.

Results Overview

From the campaign launch to completion, ClinicalConnection drove consistent interest and high-quality referrals, leading to strong results at every stage of the recruitment funnel.

Detailed Recruitment Funnel

• Total Inquiries: 319
• In-Geo Referrals: 137
• Appointments Scheduled: 21 (15.33% — 53% higher than the industry average)
• Consents Signed: 5 (23.81% — within expected range of industry norms)
• Randomizations: 4 (2.92% — nearly 4x higher than the industry average)

Key Factors Behind Success

• Highly Targeted Outreach

  By leveraging ClinicalConnection’s high-quality member base, the sponsor reached individuals with both interest in depression studies and proximity to participating sites.

  
  

• Strong Call-to-Action & Conversion Path

  The direct email campaign and optimized listing generated a large volume of motivated inquiries, which translated into above-average appointment scheduling rates.

  
  

• Superior Randomization Rate

  While the consent rate was slightly below the industry average, the quality of participants who progressed through the screening process resulted in a randomization rate nearly four times higher than that of an average patient recruitment firm.

  
  

Impact

By surpassing industry benchmarks in two out of three major performance metrics, ClinicalConnection delivered a faster, more efficient recruitment process that ensured each participating site had a steady flow of qualified candidates.

The campaign’s success demonstrates that effective digital targeting, combined with a large and engaged member database, can overcome common recruitment challenges in depression trials.

Conclusion

This depression clinical trial’s recruitment campaign highlights ClinicalConnection’s ability to deliver 53% more scheduled appointments and nearly four times more randomizations compared to the average patient recruitment firm. The results underscore the value of ClinicalConnection’s direct-to-patient model for multi-site trials, enabling sponsors to meet enrollment goals on time while improving participant quality.

*Industry average data sourced from patient recruitment firm benchmarks shown in chart above.