Marketing Challenges
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of a specific medication on exacerbation rate and pulmonary function in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The study lasted 56 weeks and provided further data on safety and tolerability of the medication.
Challenges included:
- Documentation of the COPD exacerbation
- Pulmonary function test at each visit
- Travel for severe COPD patients
Creative Strategy
Contingency plan:
- Site consultation calls with the sponsor served to build morale and discuss specific recruitment plans for individual investigators.
- The study team identified 30 sites to conduct on-site visits and community outreach. DAC evaluated those sites that utilized community outreach and physician outreach strategies. DAC’s community outreach specialists conducted extensive research in identifying opportunities and outreach through patient advocacy groups, professional organizations, support groups, senior centers, etc.
- DAC provided the sponsor with a COPD prevalence map that showcased regions within the United States with a high concentration of individuals with COPD.
Aggressive patient-focused web marketing:
- DAC researched and identified web marketing opportunities to further enhance study-specific website visibility, which included securing banner advertisements as well as clinical trial listings among professional and support group organizations (e.g., COPD Foundation, American Lung Association Better Breathers Club, American Association of Respiratory Care, COPD International, and others).
Specialty outpatient healthcare facilities: smoking cessation clinics; walk-in urgent care centers:
- DAC contacted more than 2,000 of the above centers and was able to display study information in approximately 100 clinics to build study awareness.
Media Mix
Recruitment strategies aimed at sites, communities and physician and healthcare providers:
- Study branding
- Materials for sites to build study awareness
- Recruitment kits
- Community outreach
- Oxygen providers
- Physician outreach
- Physician email blast—patient accrual
- Physician email blast—site identification
- Targeted advertising
- Study-specific website
- Direct mail
- E-notification
- Study newsletter development and distribution
- Patient wellness kits
- Retention card kits
- Transportation assistance
- Site liaison visits
- Ongoing site communication and correspondence
- Recruitment tips
Results
Enrollment was met in May 2007.
