Enhancing Clinical Trial Recruitment, Accrual, and Retention with ICH E6(R3) Guidance

​​Successful recruitment, accrual, and retention depend on more than meeting enrollment targets—they require patient‑centered communication, cultural competency, and efficient operational planning.

This course equips clinical research professionals with practical strategies to evaluate recruitment pathways, identify barriers to participation, and implement thoughtful improvements grounded in ICH E6(R3) principles. You’ll explore best practices for transparent communication, inclusive outreach, and risk‑based decision-making, along with tools that support day‑to‑day implementation. Learners receive reflection checklists, pre‑screening tip sheets, and retention planning resources designed to strengthen enrollment efforts and sustain participant engagement throughout the trial lifecycle.​ 

At the end of this course, participants should be able to:

• ​​Describe the seven operational practices that drive effective, equitable recruitment and retention, and explain how they support participant safety and trial integrity
• Apply ICH E6(R3) expectations to feasibility, prescreening, consistent offering, informed consent, and participant support using proportionate, risk‑based quality management principles
• Tailor communications to participant needs by incorporating cultural competency, language access, emotional considerations, learning styles, and health literacy challenges
• Assess individual, team, and site‑level recruitment strengths and gaps, and develop improvement strategies grounded in CtQ factors and real‑world data
• Recommend operational enhancements that reflect participant‑centered, community‑engaged, and risk‑proportionate approaches consistent with ICH E6(R3)