Patient Recruitment for Clinical Trials: Connecting Primary and Secondary Care

In the world of patient recruitment for clinical trials, bridging the gap between primary care and secondary care is one of the most pressing challenges — and one of the most promising opportunities.  

TrialChoices exists to bring these two areas of the healthcare system into closer alignment, helping to accelerate patient recruitment, improve access to studies, and ultimately deliver better research outcomes.  

Why the Gap Exists for Patient Recruitment for Clinical Trials

Primary care providers — including GPs and community clinics — are often the first point of contact for patients. They hold valuable knowledge about medical history, lifestyle, and long-term conditions.  

Secondary care, on the other hand, refers to specialist services such as hospital departments, oncology units, or cardiology centres, where patient recruitment for clinical trials most often take place.  

Despite both playing vital roles in the patient journey, there has historically been a disconnect between these two sectors when it comes to research. Trials are often organised in secondary care settings, leaving primary care providers out of the loop, even though they are ideally placed to identify and refer eligible participants. 

TrialChoices: Building a Stronger Connection 

TrialChoices has been designed specifically to close this gap and increase access to patient recruitment for clinical trials. As a UK-owned, independent organisation, our mission is to make patient recruitment more efficient by bringing together trusted research partners and the primary care community.  

By working directly with GPs and healthcare providers, we ensure that suitable patients are identified earlier and more accurately — while supporting compliance, ethics, and safety at every stage. 

We precheck each research organisation before collaborating and only partner with groups that meet both local and international regulatory standards. This ensures that studies are conducted with the highest levels of patient care, during and after the trial. 

The Advantage of Integrated Patient Recruitment 

Connecting primary care with secondary care in clinical research offers multiple advantages: 

1. Faster Identification of Participants Primary care providers are familiar with their patient populations and can quickly spot individuals who meet study criteria. 

2. Improved Patient Access Patients often trust their GP more than unfamiliar hospital staff. When research opportunities are introduced by someone they know, they are more likely to engage. 

3. Enhanced Data Quality Access to long-term medical histories improves the accuracy of pre-screening, reducing dropout rates and enhancing study reliability. 

4. Efficient Study Start-Up TrialChoices works to reduce study start-up times by managing communication, pre-screening, and administrative tasks across both primary and secondary care. 

   
   

How TrialChoices Works for Providers 

Healthcare providers subscribe to specific therapeutic areas that align with their clinical interest or patient needs. Once subscribed, we provide updates every 12 weeks detailing which studies are underway or due to begin, and what patient selection criteria will apply. 

When a suitable trial approaches study start-up, TrialChoices shares full eligibility requirements, any geographic considerations, and an estimate of the commercial recruitment fee.  

We manage the relationship with the research organisation, allowing you to make informed decisions with minimal administrative effort. 

Importantly, patient data is never shared with us. Your team remains in full control of data submission, uploading information securely to the research partner’s platform. TrialChoices simply coordinates the process — acting as a bridge between your practice and the wider research landscape. 

A Patient-Centric Model 

Our approach to patient recruitment for clinical trials is built on trust, transparency, and respect. We work only with research partners who can demonstrate that patient care — during and after the study — is a top priority. We also recognise that many patients face time-sensitive conditions, so our goal is to help reduce delays that could affect outcomes. 

By enabling greater collaboration between primary and secondary care, TrialChoices strengthens the research ecosystem and supports a more responsive and inclusive approach to clinical studies. 

Be Part of the Future of Research 

Joining the TrialChoices network means becoming part of a smarter, faster model of patient recruitment for clinical trials. If you’re ready to help patients access new treatments while supporting ethical, well-governed research, subscribe to your therapeutic areas today and let us help you connect care with research.