Case Study: A Single Source of Truth: How Cedar Health Research Increased Patient Recruitment by 160%

Overview/Background & Context

Founded in 2020, Cedar Health Research (CHR) is committed to advancing clinical research by leveraging innovative technologies and fostering excellence in data integrity. As the organization continued to scale, CHR faced challenges in managing clinical trials using multiple, disconnected systems. These disparate platforms created inefficiencies which made it harder to report on key metrics and coordinate between teams. To overcome these hurdles and improve performance, CHR transitioned to RealTime’s integrated eClinical system.

The Challenge

Complexity of Updates Across Platforms and Limited Access

Before adopting RealTime’s comprehensive eClinical solutions, CHR encountered several challenges using multiple systems from different vendors related to fragmented systems and workflows. Reporting delays were a significant issue, as pulling reports from multiple systems required downloading separate data sets, reconciling them, and aligning information due to inconsistent naming conventions. This process consumed several hours each week for CHR’s operations team, slowing down decision-making and reporting accuracy.

Furthermore, limited access to these platforms created bottlenecks in information flow because not all team members could access critical data. This hindered collaboration and slowed down trial progress.

Barriers to Effective Task Completion and Oversight

Task completion and oversight were also challenging due to the diffusion of tasks across multiple platforms. It became difficult to maintain visibility on task progress and ensure timely completion. Additionally, managing multiple login credentials for different systems was both cumbersome and posed potential security risks.

The Strain of Disjointed Systems Hindering Patient Recruitment Efforts

Recruiting patients involved multiple unconnected systems, demanding significant resources from various departments and resulting in incomplete patient profiles within the CTMS. This fragmentation hindered CHR’s ability to efficiently leverage interested patients for current or future study opportunities. The challenges with these disparate systems included inefficient processes—managing patient interest required navigating multiple non-integrated platforms, leading to delays and increased workload for staff. Moreover, incomplete patient profiles were another issue.

The lack of integration resulted in vital patient information being scattered or missing, impeding effective follow-up and engagement. Additionally, low conversion rates plagued the recruitment efforts. Despite conducting numerous community events, the absence of a streamlined process led to minimal scheduling of pre-screens or screenings and ultimately no patient randomizations from these efforts.

The fragmented nature of these systems resulted in a blurred line of sight for key performance indicators (KPIs), making tracking efficiency and performance transparency a challenging and disorganized process. Ultimately, these disconnected systems impeded CHR’s ability to operate at peak efficiency.

The Solution

In response to the inefficiencies of using multiple systems, CHR transitioned to RealTime-SOMS, a complete eClinical solution, which combines all trial management functions into a single platform to reduce complexity and improve clinical trial site management. RealTime-SOMS is the industry’s first, complete essential eClinical toolkit including CTMS, eSource, eReg/eISF, Pay, Text, Engage! (MyStudyManager™ Participant Portal + eConsent), and a secure Mobile App. CHR also adopted RealTime-Devana for study start-up, pipeline management, and business intelligence.

After implementing the platform, CHR immediately saw improvements, particularly in patient recruitment. RealTime’s, unified, enterprise-grade CTMS allowed CHR to consolidate all aspects of trial management, from patient recruitment to study data reporting, under one roof. RealTime delivered a centralized system where all team members could access real-time data, reports, and study updates. Reporting became automated, eliminating the need for manual data reconciliation, and KPI tracking became transparent. The system also integrated with CHR’s existing recruitment and patient engagement strategies, using the CTMS Web Application and MyStudyManager™ app to improve patient recruitment and screening efficiency.

The Results

Faster Response Time to Qualified Patients/Participants

Using RealTime’s Web Application, a key feature in RealTime’s enterprise-grade CTMS, the ability to manage patient profiles became even more comprehensive. What used to take about 72 hours—from building a patient profile to making initial contact—now takes one day.

The system allows for detailed tracking of inclusion/exclusion (I/E) criteria and provides immediate notifications to patients about their eligibility for studies. This functionality allowed the Clinical Trial Execution (CTE) team to focus their workload on qualified patients, significantly improving response times and accelerating the recruitment process. Further, the CTE team can now easily track trends in patients meeting or not meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria, allowing them to adjust recruitment strategies as needed.

Shared patient profiles within the Web App further streamlined the recruitment and improved the screening processes. This enabled faster decision-making and prequalification of patients. The app also tracks conversion rates, which helps the team measure if their outreach efforts are effective.

Improved Patient Management and Study Coordination

CHR also saw improvements in managing multiple enrolling studies through another key feature, the Study Progress Tab, which keeps departments and team members aligned throughout the study lifecycle. This feature facilitated better communication and ensured that everyone remained updated on study progress.

The system’s Recruitment Campaign Manager is another essential feature that CHR uses in coordinating and managing patient recruitment efforts. This feature provided an integrated platform that aligned Clinical Trial Educators (CTE), Marketing, and Healthcare Professional (HCP) departments, offering clear insights into campaign activities and effectiveness. Additionally, oversight and management of advertising budgets also improved, which enabled clearer allocation and tracking of funds. RealTime-CTMS’ ability to share top-of-the-funnel metrics through Progress Notes also provided valuable insights into early engagement, further improving decision-making and collaboration across the team.

Impact on Patient Recruitment

One of the most impactful changes was the reduction in screening times. Using RealTime’s MyStudyManager^TM, CHR saw areduction in screening times, shortening the recruitment funnel window from 7+ days to same day, which led to faster study timelines. The ability to pre-qualify patients more efficiently also played a key role, reducing the average time to first contact by 98%. These accelerated timelines allowed CHR to take on more studies annually and increase revenue potential.

With relevant notifications sent through the app each month, patient “stickiness” and engagement were strengthened at CHR. Common notification types include new study opportunities matching patient profiles, appointment reminders to reduce no-shows, and study updates to keep participants informed of progress and milestones. Key features such as immediate eligibility feedback, a user-friendly interface, and personalized communication, all drive engagement and contribute to better participant experiences.

Increased Team Productivity and Reduced Administrative Burdens

Today, CHR’s team has seamlessly integrated technology into their workflow, and it has become a natural part of their daily process. The results of using a centralized platform were evident at an expo in fall of 2024 which attracted over 2,000 participants. CHR experienced the tangible benefits of improved process efficiency by establishing a consistent workflow across all patient recruitment efforts, significantly reducing redundancy and confusion.

At the event, CHR’s new recruitment process led to 40 new complete patient profiles and reduced response times for web applications to just hours, improving the patient experience. Scheduling efficiency also increased, with 8 patients scheduled for pre-screening visits, and a valuable patient database was created for future trials. Furthermore, using a centralized system resulted in reduced resource demands across departments and improved patient retention with faster follow-ups. Moreover, the unified data facilitated better data-driven decisions. Ultimately, this approach improved CHR’s recruitment strategies, allowed for better analysis of recruitment efforts, and increased the effectiveness of campaigns.

Altogether, by streamlining tasks like data entry, trial documentation, and regulatory compliance tracking, RealTime’s suite of eClinical solutions has alleviated much of the administrative burden for the CHR team. Instead of spending valuable time reconciling various, disparate platforms, they now focus on high-priority, value-adding activities, allowing for smoother operations and quicker trial turnarounds.

Key Takeaways

• 160% increase in patient recruitment
• 98% reduced time to average contact
• 60 hours of time savings in patient recruitment
• Reduced administrative site burden
• Single platform for central and site-based teams

Before

1. 1. Disconnected systems resulted in a lack of data transparency and difficult task management.
   2. Multiple platforms required managing numerous logins, making collaboration inefficient.
   3. Fragmented reporting created time-consuming manual data reconciliation efforts and delayed decision-making.

After

1. 1. Centralized operations with real-time access to data and streamlined workflows.
   2. A unified platform for better collaboration and communication across departments.
   3. Faster decision-making and increased operational efficiency from comprehensive, automated reporting tools that eliminated manual reconciliation.

Advice for Other Sites

For sites considering a transition to an integrated system like RealTime, the benefits are clear. Moving to a unified platform significantly boosts operational efficiency, streamlines processes and reduces the time spent on manual tasks. By centralizing data, the system improves transparency across all levels of operation, enabling more informed and timely decision-making. Beyond the immediate operational improvements, an integrated eClinical system also provides a strategic advantage, supporting better planning, business development, and long-term growth. For any site looking to enhance performance and stay competitive, adopting an integrated eClinical system is a smart investment.

Site Profile

Cedar Health Research (CHR) is a private clinical research organization focused on leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance clinical trial efficiency and patient engagement. Established in 2020, CHR’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and data integrity positions it as a leader in the industry. The company is dedicated to advancing medical science while maintaining the highest ethical standards and providing exceptional customer service.

By RealTime eClinical Solutions