What principles apply to every therapeutic area?
- Specialists first. They see the target population most often, which is why a neurology research site that built a successful network advises prioritizing specialty physicians (Applied Clinical Trials).
- Community practices over hospitals. Physicians in clinical practice are 2.7 times more likely to refer than those in hospital based settings (Tufts CSDD).
- Close to the site. Proximity to a research center raised the odds of being a likely referrer about fourfold in one physician survey (PubMed).
Which physicians should you contact for each condition?
| Therapeutic area | Core referring physicians | Also consider |
|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's disease | Neurologists, geriatricians, memory clinics | Primary care physicians |
| Parkinson's disease | Neurologists, movement disorder specialists | Primary care physicians |
| Oncology | Community medical oncologists, hematologist oncologists | Surgical and radiation oncologists, oncology nurses |
| MASH and liver disease | Hepatologists, gastroenterologists | Endocrinologists, primary care physicians |
| Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis | Dermatologists | Allergists, pediatricians for pediatric studies |
| COPD and asthma | Pulmonologists | Allergists, primary care physicians |
| Depression | Psychiatrists | Primary care physicians |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | Rheumatologists | Primary care physicians |
| Obesity and type 2 diabetes | Endocrinologists, primary care physicians | Bariatric and obesity medicine specialists |
| Migraine | Neurologists, headache specialists | Primary care physicians |
How should the protocol change the list?
Read the criteria before building the list. A study requiring a confirmed diagnosis by a specialist points to specialists. A study for newly diagnosed or treatment naive patients may point to primary care, where many patients are first seen. In oncology, where about 85% of patients are diagnosed and treated in community practices by one widely cited estimate (CancerNetwork), community oncologists are the obvious starting point.
What comes next?
Build the list from the NPPES registry, filter to the right radius, and send study specific outreach. See how to find specialists near your research site.
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
- Applied Clinical Trials, "Building a Physician Referral Network: A Case Study"
- "Predictors of physician referral for patient recruitment to Alzheimer disease clinical trials," Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, PubMed
- Applied Clinical Trials, "Tufts CSDD Study Explores Low Recruitment Rates"
- CancerNetwork, "Inadequate Awareness of and Participation in Cancer Clinical Trials in the Community Oncology Setting"
