ADHD
Clinical Trial  Recruitment Case Study

More than 6 million children and adolescents in America live with ADHD today –  a condition that significantly impacts academic performance, social development, and family dynamics. As diagnosis rates continue to rise, innovative clinical trials offer hope for those seeking more effective management solutions.

Facing a critical enrollment crisis, our team stepped in: We needed to connect qualified pediatric participants with a Phase 3 ADHD clinical trial examining an investigational treatment across two distinct age cohorts. Through he development of a comprehensive rescue strategy, we transformed a study that was 5 months behind schedule into a success story – demonstrating how patient-centric  engagement can accelerate vital medical research.

The implications extend far beyond metrics. Each enrolled child represents a family seeking better options, and our success means accelerating access to potentially life-changing treatments. This case study reveals how reimagining patient recruitment can not only rescue endangered research timelines but also help address one of pediatric healthcare’s most challenging conditions.

Close the 220-Participant Enrollment Gap
We needed to rapidly enroll 220 additional participants to reach the global target of 400, despite the study already being 5 months behind schedule. This aggressive recruitment goal required developing a comprehensive acceleration strategy that could deliver  qualified participants while maintaining research integrity.

Reduce the 50%+ Screen Failure Rate
With more than half of referred patients failing screening, we needed to implement enhanced pre-qualification protocols that could identify disqualifying factors early.  Our goal was to dramatically improve referral quality while reducing the burden on  site staff and optimizing the participant experience.

Develop Age-Appropriate Engagement Strategies
The unique challenge of recruiting across two distinct developmental stages (ages 6–12 and 13–18) required creating targeted approaches for each cohort. We needed to address different motivational drivers – primarily parent-driven for younger children versus increasing teen influence for adolescents.

Overcome Parent Communication Barriers
Complex protocol information wasn’t effectively reaching the key decision-makers – parents. We aimed to transform technical study details into accessible, transparent content that directly addressed parental concerns while highlighting the potential benefits of participation across different regions and healthcare systems.

Comprehensive Protocol Analysis
We analyzed study requirements to identify different motivational factors between age groups and screening failure patterns across regions, uncovering critical communication gaps in the pre-screening process.

Family-Centered Communication
We developed age-specific educational materials with transparent pre-screening tools that clearly communicated criteria, while addressing common parental concerns about ADHD research.

Precision Digital Targeting
Our data science team created audience models based on behavioral indicators of ADHD families, implementing custom strategies for each age group and geo-targeted campaigns around high-performing sites.

Enhanced Pre-Qualification Process
We implemented predictive pre-screening questionnaires with parent-friendly communication protocols for each study touch point and digital qualification  pathways with automated scheduling.

Performance-Based Execution
We aligned financial incentives with enrollment success through a pay-for-performance model, reducing financial risk while ensuring continuous optimization based on referral quality metrics.

Full Enrollment Achieved
We successfully recruited 220 additional participants, reaching the complete enrollment target of 400 participants across both age cohorts. This rapid acceleration ensured the study could proceed with the full statistical power required for meaningful research outcomes.

Screen Failure Rate Slashed
Our enhanced pre-qualification process reduced the screen failure rate by 45% –  from over 50% to under 30%. This improvement significantly decreased the burden  on site staff while creating a better experience for participating families.

Budget Efficiency Delivered
The performance-based approach yielded a 40% decrease in cost-per-randomized-patient, providing substantial budget relief for the sponsor while demonstrating the financial value of strategic patient recruitment.

Critical Timeline Recovered
Despite starting 5 months behind schedule, the study completed patient enrollment on the revised timeline. This recovery prevented costly extensions and kept the development program for this important ADHD treatment on track.

Global Balance Maintained
We achieved proportional enrollment targets across all global regions, ensuring the study population appropriately represented diverse healthcare environments and patient populations for robust scientific validity.

Through deep protocol analysis and family-centered communication, we transformed a critical recruitment challenge into a remarkable success story. This comprehensive rescue approach didn’t just salvage the study timeline – it revolutionized the entire enrollment process.

The numbers reveal the transformation: a study that was 5 months behind schedule brought to full enrollment in just 16 weeks, screen failure rates cut nearly in half, and a 40% reduction in cost-per-randomized-patient. But beyond these metrics lies an even more meaningful achievement: accelerating research that could improve the lives of millions of children and adolescents struggling with ADHD.

This case study demonstrates that when strategic patient engagement meets sophisticated digital targeting, we can dramatically reverse even the most challenging enrollment situations while maintaining scientific integrity. We’ve established a new model for pediatric study rescue – one that combines rapid recruitment, quality referrals, and age-appropriate engagement across global populations.

Impact at a Glance
+  220 additional participants enrolled in just 16 weeks
+  45% reduction in screen failure rate
+  40% decrease in cost-per-randomized-patient
+  Complete timeline recovery for a critical ADHD treatment