Medical rideshare service and clinical research: A new way forward.
When conducting any clinical research study, research sites face many different challenges with recruitment and retention – one of which is patient transportation to and from study visits.
Study participants do not always have reliable transportation or the means to pay for transportation. This can be a source of frustration for research sites that have enrolled patients who become noncompliant because they are unable to attend all study visits, which can negatively impact the study as whole. However, employing a medical rideshare service, like Uber Health or Lyft Concierge, can potentially help increase patient retention and decrease the number of missed study visits.
By using a reliable on-demand medical rideshare service, participants are less likely to miss appointments due to lack of transportation. These companies offer HIPAA-compliant, comfortable transportation that can be easily managed directly by the research sites. And sites can offer transportation and coordinate rides for their participants as they schedule the next study visit. Rides can be arranged for immediate pickup or up to 30 days in advance, and everything is handled through an easy-to-use web dashboard where you can book, reschedule, and get a clear overview of where each rider and driver is in real time.
The beauty of both Uber Health and Lyft Concierge is the ease of use for study participants. All trip details are sent via text message, so patients are not required to have access to a smartphone or the Uber or Lyft app. Patients will know when their ride is due to arrive and what route they will be taking exclusively through text message.
As with all aspects of patient recruitment, HIPAA compliance is of the utmost importance, and participants can be sure that the drivers are not aware they’re picking up clinical research patients. To drivers, it’s just like any other ride. This not only keeps patients at ease with the process but also helps sites retain enrolled participants for their studies.
If you’d like to learn more about how Praxis can help with patient recruitment challenges, contact us.
