Home visits are the key to patient retention, says ResearchNurses.co

The UK-based research nurse provider says that by providing a regular, trusted point of contact to help administer the drugs and deal with the finer details, participants are much more likely to stay in the trial.

Other benefits, says the firm, include improved patient compliance – because a trained healthcare professional is there to help administer the drug and ensure trial data is completed accurately – as well as initial clinical assessments performed before samples hit the lab.

Speaking to Outsourcing-Pharma, Sue Mackay, research nursing team manager, said: “If it does mean that we’re getting perfect data that is absolutely clean, we’re getting patient compliance and retention within the studies then in the long run that is going to benefit people.”​

False economy?​

Mackay added that, although the initial outlay for such individualised patient care is higher than having the patient come to the research centre, in the long-run it saves money.

“To me it’s a bit of a double edge sword​,” she said. “It’s one thing to recruit patients but it’s another to retain them. It would cost more to recruit all over again.​

She added: “I think a lot of studies are beginning to look quite seriously at home care studies, especially for long-term diseases.”​

Part II of the podcast coming up tomorrow. Mackay discusses the regulatory benefits, and changing views of Big Pharma towards home visits.​​