Background
A sponsor running a complex clinical trial with high referral volume faced serious operational bottlenecks. Despite having patient interest, sites were overwhelmed, leading to long delays in follow-up, dropped leads, and rising costs. Initially partnering with SubjectWell solely for recruitment, the sponsor expanded full-site support to 16 sites after early success with a 5-site pilot.
Challenge
Sites lacked the bandwidth to respond to referrals quickly. On average, it took more than 8 days to make initial contact with patients and over 10 days to schedule a screening appointment. As a result, patients lost interest or timed out of eligibility windows, significantly affecting trial timelines and enrollment outcomes.
Strategy
SubjectWell implemented Full-Site Support, taking on end-to-end engagement tasks that were previously left to the sites. This included inclusion/exclusion screening, logistical prep, appointment scheduling, and continuous patient support. Full-site Support freed sites from administrative overload and ensured patients received fast, human support throughout the screening period.
Tactics
Multilingual call center support to rapidly contact and engage patients
In-depth screening to assess interest, eligibility, and preparedness
Appointment setting and logistical coordination (e.g., parking, lab locations)
Customizable omnichannel touchpoints during long screening periods
Use of OneView for real-time tracking and transparent referral management
SubjectWell’s Full-Site Support model cut total patient progression time by 9.7x to deliver faster follow-up, less site burden, and over $750K in trial cost savings.
Results and ROI
SubjectWell’s Full-Site Support model dramatically improved speed, efficiency, and retention. In some cases, the team was able to contact patients in under 4 hours and deliver operational improvements within just two weeks of launch. By acting as an extension of the sites, SubjectWell removed administrative burden and ensured only highly qualified, truly interested patients were referred. The customizable support model created a seamless handoff, allowing sites to focus on care while SubjectWell handled high-volume engagement, screening, and scheduling.
Full-site support comparison
| Metric | Without (days) | With (days) | Time saved (days) | Amount faster |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact rate | 8.8 | 0.33 | 8.5 | 26.75x |
| Connecting with patient | 10.64 | 1.34 | 9.3 | 7.95x |
| Appointment setting | 1.59 | 0.5 | 1.09 | 3.2x | TOTAL | 21.03 | 2.17 | 18.86 | 9.7x |
Number of referrals
Key results
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Estimated savings: $754,000 (based on $40K/day average cost)
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Impact visible within two weeks of launch
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96% patient satisfaction from survey feedback
Is Full-Site Support right for your study?
Full Site Support is especially valuable for complex studies, rare diseases, or trials requiring caregiver coordination where patient engagement during the screening period is critical. When referral volume is high or sites are overwhelmed, Full-Site Support ensures no patient falls through the cracks while easing the operational
load on sites.
“We’re working as one team with the sites to make sure patients are supported and that sites only receive qualified, truly interested participants.”
— Site engagement coordinator
Conclusion
SubjectWell’s Full Site Support transformed this trial by removing bottlenecks and providing timely, empathetic patient engagement. Sites had more time to focus on care, and patients received the consistent follow-up needed to stay engaged.
The result: a 9.7x faster screening funnel, and hundreds of thousands saved without sacrificing quality.
