Patient Management and Retention – Issues in Clinical Trials
Over the past few years, the issues related to patient management and retention, pop out to instill discussions among various professionals involved in clinical trials. Most of the times, such discussions lead to identifying the difference between patient retention and patient adherence; revolving around patient management. However, the studies have shown a significant difference between the two in spite of confusions arising out of co-relation. The basic understanding quotes that patient compliance and retention is the two basic factors responsible for the success of clinical trials.
Patient retention deals with the issues of retaining the patients enrolled in clinical trials without making them discontinue the participation and dropping out. The tactics and strategies used for the hold of these policies can be stated as the definition of patient retention. Dropping out is a serious consequence in case of patient retention which ranges from costly delays to missing data that have the potential to compromise the results and integrity of a study. Often participants enrolled in the study of patient retention face dropping out issues due to a variety of issues. Some of those include uncontrollable circumstances and rational scenarios that none could help. Whatsoever, the percentage of patient compliance and retention wrapped up in patient management is always kept intact even if difficulties to maintain patient protocols discrepancies also take into account of unexpected dropouts and volunteers.
The foremost process involved in patient management and retention is the series of strategies and tactics used for designing steps that would keep the patients enrolled within stipulated medication as prescribed. An increased risk to discontinue a patient’s participation occurs because of non-adherent policies carried out in a clinical trial. Therefore, it is highly recommended to make sure the patients are kept within the possible edges of patient management. By doing this, patient retention issues are likely to reduce making the process more flexible for the participants. In addition to certain responsibilities assigned to each study participant, there are also some essential roles that a participant should adhere in the case of study medication. Such responsibilities include dietary restriction, diary completion, follow-up phone calls and other forms of study-specific accountabilities.
A recent survey in the patient management and retention states a significant pervasive problematic patient retention rates according to which an average of 30 percent dropout rates have been observed across all clinical trials. It has to be understood that a patient has a complete right to decide for a group from clinical trials at any time and for any given reason. But, there has to some possible rationale for why they have to discontinue study participation and it should be predicted and framed upon at some point. Inconvenience is stated as the reason for the majority number of dropouts. This can be justified if a patient’s workplace or home is at a reasonably long distance and in such cases, there might be several confusions in the scheduling of appointments which doesn’t fit within a particular participant’s routine.
In fact, a number of attempts are being made to crack the reasons for the existing discrepancies in patient management and retention and respective clinical recruitment specialists will be held responsible for the essential development of strategies and tactics which address some of the important hurdles acting as a hindrance for patient careimprovement. Patients will be exposed to higher retention rate as well as higher adherence rate in patient management if the importance of taking study medication is stressed upon them on a regular basis. Educating the patients on dealing with study retention, patient adherence and retention will make sure that effective patient management and retention are carried out successfully.
