(BioMed Central, 2007-11-20) Francis, David; Roberts, Ian; Elbourne, Diana R.; Shakur, Haleema; Knight, Rosemary C.; Garcia, Jo; Snowdon, Claire; Entwistle, Vikki; McDonald, Alison Mary; Grant, Adrian Maxwell; Campbell, Marion Kay; University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine & Dentistry, Division of Applied Health Sciences
Background: Publicly funded clinical trials require a substantial commitment of time and money. To ensure that sufficient numbers of patients are recruited it is essential that they address important questions in a rigorous manner and are managed well, adopting effective marketing strategies. Methods: Using methods of analysis drawn from management studies, this paper presents a structured assessment framework or reference model, derived from a case analysis of the MRC's CRASH trial, of 12 factors that may affect the success of the marketing and sales activities associated with clinical trials. Results: The case study demonstrates that trials need various categories of people to buy in – hence, to be successful, trialists must embrace marketing strategies to some extent. Conclusion: The performance of future clinical trials could be enhanced if trialists routinely considered these factors.
