#20: Why is patient feasibility important for protocol design?
Answer:
A protocol may look great on paper, but if it doesn’t consider the patient experience, recruitment and retention can suffer. Patient feasibility assessments ensure protocols are practical, realistic, and patient-centric.
Key benefits of patient feasibility for protocol design:
✅ Identifies complex or unrealistic study demands – Patients can highlight concerns about visit schedules, procedures, or travel burdens.
✅ Ensures inclusion criteria reflect real-world patients – Narrow or unclear criteria can exclude eligible participants.
✅ Improves informed consent materials – Patients help ensure documents are clear, concise, and easy to understand.
✅ Reduces protocol amendments – Addressing patient challenges early helps avoid costly delays later.
By integrating patient insights early, study protocols become more practical, patient-friendly, and effective, improving both recruitment and retention.