Physician referrals

What physicians need to know before referring a patient to a clinical trial

By TrialNotice · Updated
Dermatologist in a white coat reading a one page clinical study summary while on the phone in her exam room doorway
Short answerPhysicians need five things before they refer: what the study is testing and for which condition, the few criteria that decide eligibility, where the site is, what the patient will go through, and one named person to contact. Tufts CSDD found physicians skip referrals mainly because they cannot access study information and lack the time to find it.

Why does information come before everything else?

Physicians and nurses name the inability to access information, and insufficient information and time, as the key reasons they do not refer patients to trials. Only 9% of physicians say fear of losing the patient affects the decision (Tufts CSDD via Applied Clinical Trials). Physicians refer a median of five patients into trials per year, less than 0.2% of their patient volume (Getz, Applied Clinical Trials). The fastest way into that short list is to answer their questions before they have to ask.

What are the five things a physician needs?

  1. The study in one sentence. The condition, the phase, and what is being tested, in the clinical language the physician uses every day.
  2. The criteria that decide most cases. Three to five inclusion and exclusion points. The physician is deciding whether a patient is worth sending, not screening them.
  3. Where the site is. The address and investigator. Distance matters: in a survey of physicians about Alzheimer's trials, the odds of being likely to refer were about four times higher for physicians close to a research center (PubMed).
  4. What the patient will go through. Visit frequency, study length, and any procedures, stated plainly. In the same survey, concern about exposing patients to uncomfortable procedures was one of the strongest barriers to referral.
  5. One named contact. A coordinator with a direct phone number and email, so referral takes one step.

What should the physician hear after referring?

Nearly 30% of physicians reported never receiving contact from site staff after making a referral (Tufts CSDD). Tell physicians up front that you will confirm every referral and report whether the patient screened. Then do it. See how to follow up with referring physicians.

How much time will the physician spend?

Lack of time was the strongest barrier in the Alzheimer's physician survey (PubMed). Design for a two minute read: one page, the study summary and contact at the top, and a QR code or short link for anyone who wants more detail. Everything else can wait for the coordinator call.

Do patients want their doctor involved?

Yes. In CISCRP's 2017 study, 95% of respondents said it is important for their regular doctor to be aware of studies (CISCRP). A physician who understands your study is doing what their patients already expect of them.

For the letter itself, see what to include in a clinical trial referral letter to physicians.

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 TrialNotice

Sources

  1. Applied Clinical Trials, "Tufts CSDD Study Explores Low Recruitment Rates"
  2. Ken Getz, Applied Clinical Trials, "Rebooting the Statistic That 5% of Eligible Patients Participate in Clinical Trials"
  3. "Predictors of physician referral for patient recruitment to Alzheimer disease clinical trials," Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, PubMed
  4. CISCRP, Highlights from the 2017 Perceptions and Insights Study

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