Improving patient recruitment for clinical studies through social media influencers
Recruiting enough participants for a clinical study is a common and well-known challenge in medical research. This project explores whether social media - especially influencer-based communication - can improve patient recruitment for clinical studies, reach relevant target groups more effectively, and use resources more efficiently than traditional recruitment methods.
Why patient recruitment remains a challenge in clinical research
Clinical studies are essential for improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment across all areas of medicine. At the same time, the preparation and conduct of such studies are time-consuming and costly. If the planned number of participants is not reached, the scientific value of a study is limited and important research questions cannot be fully answered.
Conventional recruitment strategies such as flyers, posters, or information provided in healthcare settings often have a limited reach. Many potentially eligible participants do not become aware of ongoing studies, even when these studies are relevant to their situation.
Study Design
In this project, we take a new approach to patient recruitment by actively using social media platforms. with a focus on collaboration with influencers who already communicate with specific communities and have established trust with their audiences.
This project examines whether influencer-based communication can successfully raise awareness of studies and motivate people to consider participation. At the same time, the project explicitly aims to generate insights that are transferable to clinical studies in other medical fields.
Comparing costs, effort, and recruitment outcomes
A central question of this project is how social influencer media-based recruitment compares with traditional recruitment approaches. The project analyzes the relationship between effort, costs, and recruitment success. This includes assessing how much coordination is required, which resources are needed, and how effectively potential participants can be reached.
By systematically examining these factors, the project provides practical evidence to support decision-making when planning recruitment strategies for future clinical studies, regardless of the specific disease area.
How collaboration with influencers can work
This project also focuses on the conditions required for successful collaboration with influencers. This includes questions about clear roles and responsibilities, appropriate framework conditions, and transparent communication that respects ethical standards in clinical research.
Understanding these aspects is essential for researchers who consider using influencer partnerships in a responsible and effective way.
Digital training for people with cancer as a use case
This project uses the clinical study ICanSelfCare as use case. Within this study we investigate how digital health tools can help people with cancer in learning and utilizing mind body medicine techniques to reduce cancer-related side effects. This use case is particularly suitable for testing social media-based recruitment approaches, as digital health interventions can be accessed remotely and are well aligned with online communication habits. At the same time, the insights gained from this use case go beyond oncology and digital health. The project contributes practical knowledge on how digital communication channels can complement existing recruitment methods and help strengthen clinical research overall.
Project leads
- Claudia Witt (Principal Investigator)
- Anita Thomae (Contact)