Guide to Clinical Trial Advertising
Cameron Jacox is the founder of Rocket Digital Health, the foremost digital health scale consultancy. Go-to-market is hard in healthcare, and we believe that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to bring your brilliant invention to market. Having helped scale 13 digital health startups, including for 4 years as Chief Growth Officer at Lark Health from Series A to Unicorn status, Cameron & his team work with select startups to bring growth strategy to bear to beat their growth goals and catch their stride.
First Things First: Clinical Trial Advertising 101
Clinical trial advertising refers to the use of various marketing strategies and channels to recruit eligible participants for clinical trials. The primary purpose of clinical trial advertising is to ensure that a study has enough participants to generate statistically significant results. Without enough participants, the study may not yield accurate or generalizable findings.
Clinical trial advertising can take many forms, including print ads, radio ads, television ads, and online ads. However, it is important to note that clinical trial advertising is subject to strict regulations from various governing bodies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).
What To Run By the IRB In Clinical Trial Advertising (Everything)
When advertising for clinical trials, digital health founders must ensure that their marketing strategies and materials are in compliance with Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements. The IRB is responsible for reviewing and approving clinical trial protocols to ensure that the trial is ethical, safe, and adheres to federal regulations.
Here are some things that digital health founders should run by the IRB when doing clinical trial advertising:
Recruitment materials: All recruitment materials, including ads, flyers, and social media posts, must be approved by the IRB before they can be used to solicit participants. The IRB will review the materials to ensure that they accurately and clearly convey the study's purpose and requirements.
Informed consent: Digital health founders must obtain informed consent from participants before enrolling them in the study. The IRB will review the informed consent documents to ensure that they contain all necessary information and that the language is clear and understandable.
Compensation: Compensation for study participation must be approved by the IRB. Compensation must be reasonable and not coercive, meaning it should not be so high that it influences a person's decision to participate in the study.
Confidentiality: Digital health founders must ensure that participant data is kept confidential and that any potential risks to participants' privacy are minimized. The IRB will review the study protocol to ensure that privacy protections are in place.
You Can Use Incentives in Clinical Trial Recruitment
Incentives are a common tool used to recruit participants for clinical trials, including digital health studies. Incentives can take many forms, including cash payments, gift cards, or other rewards. However, the use of incentives in clinical trial recruitment requires careful consideration of ethical and legal considerations.
Types of Incentives
Digital health founders may offer different types of incentives to encourage participation in clinical trials. Here are some examples:
Cash payments: Participants may be paid a flat fee or a fee per visit.
Gift cards: Participants may be given gift cards to popular retailers or online stores.
Travel reimbursement: Participants may be reimbursed for travel expenses related to participating in the study.
Health-related incentives: Participants may be given incentives related to the health condition being studied, such as free access to a digital health product or a discount on related healthcare services.
Ethical Considerations
When offering incentives in clinical trial recruitment, digital health founders must ensure that the incentives are not coercive and do not unduly influence participation. Coercion occurs when the incentive is so high that it influences a person's decision to participate in the study, rather than the potential benefits of the study.
Best Practices
Here are some best practices for using incentives in clinical trial recruitment:
Consult with the IRB: Digital health founders should consult with the IRB to determine what types of incentives are allowed and what the appropriate compensation level should be.
Be transparent: Digital health founders should be transparent about the incentives being offered and ensure that participants understand that the incentives are not the primary reason for participating in the study.
Avoid undue influence: Digital health founders should avoid offering incentives that are so high that they unduly influence participation.
Can Digital Ads Be Used For Clinical Trial Advertising?
Digital ads, such as social media ads, search engine ads, and display ads, have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their cost-effectiveness and ability to target specific demographics. However, the use of digital ads for clinical trial advertising is a relatively new concept and has raised some concerns regarding the ethical implications of using personal data for advertising purposes.
Despite these concerns, studies have shown that digital ads can be effective in recruiting participants for clinical trials. For example, a study published in JAMA Network Open found that Facebook ads were successful in recruiting young adults for a smoking cessation clinical trial
What’s the Typical Cost Per Participant in Clinical Trial Advertising?
The cost of clinical trial advertising can vary widely depending on the strategies and channels used. According to a report by Cutting Edge Information, the average cost per participant for clinical trial advertising ranges from $2,500 to $5,000. It can be much, much lower if you’re efficient. These numbers reflect very traditional modes of recruitment. I’ve seen costs as low as $200.
It is important to note that clinical trial advertising is only one component of the overall cost of conducting a clinical trial. Other factors, such as study design, data management, and regulatory compliance, also contribute to the total cost of the trial.