Which physicians refer to obesity and diabetes trials?
- Primary care physicians, who manage most patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity.
- Endocrinologists, for patients with more complex or poorly controlled disease.
- Obesity medicine and bariatric specialists, for weight management studies.
- Cardiologists and nephrologists, for studies focused on cardiovascular or kidney outcomes.
What causes screen failure in these trials?
With a large patient pool, the challenge is matching, not finding. Across all therapeutic areas, Tufts CSDD puts the average screen failure rate at 36.3% (Tufts CSDD). In metabolic studies, the criteria that decide most cases are usually already in the referring physician's chart:
- HbA1c or BMI ranges.
- Current and recent diabetes or weight loss medications.
- Kidney function and other lab thresholds.
What should the physician summary say?
List the lab ranges and medication exclusions in the first lines, then the visit schedule. Physicians name missing information and time as their main reasons for not referring (Tufts CSDD). The more of the matching they can do from memory, the more qualified the referrals.
Do patients want to hear about these trials from their doctor?
Yes. In CISCRP's 2017 study, 58% of people said they would begin a clinical trial search by asking their doctor (CISCRP). Patients managing a chronic condition see their physician regularly, which gives referral outreach many chances to land.
What should a obesity and diabetes outreach plan include?
- The core specialists and relevant primary care physicians within realistic driving distance of the site.
- A one page summary with the diagnosis requirements, key exclusions, procedures, and visit schedule.
- A named coordinator contact, and a commitment to report back on every referral.
- Follow up by email and LinkedIn, prioritizing physicians who engaged.
See referral strategy by therapeutic area for other conditions.
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.
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