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On this 19th Clinical Trials Day, I find myself pondering everything we still do not know, and everything we have yet to achieve in clinical research. From my many years of experience running clinical trial sites, I recognize the unfortunate reality that trials are too expensive and too slow – which has a real, human cost

Clinical research stands at the forefront of medical advancement, offering promising treatments and therapies to combat diseases and improve human health. Despite its noble objectives, the field faces numerous challenges to reduce the complexity of clinical trials notably due to an increasing demand for more data from regulatory and reimbursement stakeholders.

If “recruiting and screening patients who try new treatments and monitoring and reporting on patient progress” sounds like a reasonable, if skimpy, definition of the duties of a clinical research coordinator (CRC) at a clinical trial site, imagine the surprise of a newly minted CRC who finds themself tasked with exploring a shuttered hospital in search of old research records, or visiting the local jail in hopes of finding participants who have gone missing mid-study. 

Community engagement is a critical step in improving the diversity of clinical trial participants, but this demands more than simply setting up a site in an area with an underserved population. Sustainable growth in recruitment and retention requires ongoing engagement beyond efforts to recruit for a specific trial.    

Are you hoping to make the most out of attending your first ACRP conference in Anaheim in early May but feeling a little anxious about the “sit down next to someone you don’t know and introduce yourself” ritual of such big gatherings? Take heart—if you drum up some courage and listen to the wisdom of those who have gone before you, you will find yourself looking back on your time at ACRP 2024 with the pride of accomplishment that comes from putting your best foot forward, getting in the game, and making great professional strides in your clinical research career.