by Omer RF, Ahmed ES, Ali BM, Alhaj HE, Bakhiet SM, Mohamed ESW, Strub-Wourgaft N, Fahal AH. Transactions RSTMH 2021;115(4):397–405. doi: 10.1093/trstmh/traa165
Summary: Patient recruitment and retention are critical determinants of clinical trial success and yet a substantial number of trials fail to reach their recruitment goals. The authors report the challenges, barriers, and solutions in the recruitment and retention of patients in the first-ever double-blind clinical trial for mycetoma, being conducted at the Mycetoma Research Centre (MRC) in Sudan. The recruitment committee at the MRC conducted training workshops for medical staff in endemic areas, and held regular meetings with health authorities and local leaders. Telemedicine technology was used to examine patients in remote areas. The authors conclude that effective patient recruitment and retention are based on three pillars: clinical trial design and protocol development, realistic and feasible trial site selection, and communication with trial stakeholders.
