Short answerSCRS surveys show 88% of sites say screen failures are not sufficiently covered, 74% name more robust sponsor budgets as their top need, and 53% regularly pay for recruitment from their own funds. 23% of sites reported 31% to 40% of their invoices overdue by more than 90 days, and 38% saw profits decline in 2023.
Budgets and margins
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sites saying screen failures are not sufficiently covered | 88% | SCRS |
| Sites whose top need is more robust budgets | 74% | SCRS 2023 |
| Sites with a profit decline in 2023 | 38% | SCRS |
| Sites with under $1 million in gross revenue | 37% | SCRS |
| Sites regularly paying for recruitment from own funds | 53% | SCRS 2024 |
| Sites saying screen failure terms never or rarely cover actual screen fails | 42% | SCRS 2024 |
Payments and cash flow
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sites with 31% to 40% of invoices overdue more than 90 days | 23% | SCRS via Clinical Leader |
| Sites whose operating capital declined | 34% | SCRS via Clinical Leader |
| Sites with monthly payment agreements (2023) | 51% | IntuitionLabs, citing SCRS |
| Most common holdback (2023) | 10% to 14% of earned revenue | IntuitionLabs, citing SCRS |
| Example academic indirect rate for industry studies | 39% (Penn Medicine) | Penn Medicine |
The sponsor side
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cost per day, Phase III | $55,716 | Tufts CSDD |
| Direct cost per day, Phase II | $23,737 | Tufts CSDD |
| Cost of a site enrolling one patient over 30 months | About $130,000 | Phesi |
What does this mean for a site?
Site revenue follows enrolled patients. When enrollment is slow or unpredictable, every other financial problem gets worse: unpaid screen failures, self funded recruitment, and studies that never earn back startup costs. A steady, predictable patient source is a financial strategy, not just a recruitment tactic. See the revenue per patient calculator.
Get your study in front of the right local physicians
TrialNotice builds a physician referral pipeline around one active study. We identify relevant local physicians within driving distance of your site, send study aligned direct mail, follow up by email and LinkedIn, track engagement with recipient level QR codes, and route warm responses into your site team's workflow.
Talk to TrialNoticeSources
- Society for Clinical Research Sites, Site Finances White Paper (2024)
- Society for Clinical Research Sites, 2023 Site Landscape Survey White Paper
- Clinical Leader, "The Results Are In: Survey Reveals Barriers and Opportunities In Site Sustainability"
- SCRS 2024 Global Site Landscape results, Site Solutions Summit
- IntuitionLabs, "Clinical Trial Site Payment Benchmarks 2026" (citing the SCRS 2023 Site Landscape Survey)
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Budget Preparation and Development
- Tufts CSDD, "Quantifying the Value of a Day of Delay in Drug Development" white paper (2024)
- Applied Clinical Trials, "Phesi Report: Assessing Single Patient Investigator Sites in Cancer Clinical Trials"
