Courses for representative clinical trial recruitment
Two brief, role-based courses for investigators and research teams.
Incomplete and delayed recruitment remains one of the greatest obstacles to clinical trial success, and underrepresentation weakens the evidence a trial produces. Common communication habits, time pressure, and unexamined assumptions can narrow which patients are invited and how invitations are delivered, without the recruiter realizing it. These courses build the skills to counter that, drawn from a robust, converging evidence base in social and cognitive psychology and social neuroscience.
Which course fits your role?
If you introduce the trial and hand off: choose the Principal Investigator course. It covers the initial introduction and an effective handoff that preserves patient confidence as your research team takes over the conversation.
If you conduct the full conversation: choose the Research Staff course. It covers the complete recruitment and informed consent conversation, from first engagement through enrollment or a respectful close.
For principal investigators
Introduction and Handoff: Setting the Stage for Successful Recruitment
About 10 minutes. Certificate of completion. Online, self-paced.
Designed for principal investigators, physician-researchers, sub-investigators, and senior clinicians who introduce trials to eligible patients and rely on a coordinator or team member for the full informed consent conversation.
What the course covers:
- How automatic cognitive processes can shape which patients you invite and how you frame the opportunity, often outside conscious awareness.
- Evidence-based strategies for a trust-building initial introduction that increases patient receptivity.
- How to execute a handoff that preserves patient confidence, momentum, and willingness to continue the conversation.
For research staff and coordinators
The Complete Recruitment and Informed Consent Conversation
About 20 minutes. Certificate of completion. Online, self-paced.
Designed for clinical research coordinators, research nurses, and study staff who manage recruitment from initial engagement through enrollment or a respectful conversation close.
What the course covers:
- How automatic cognitive processes can shape recruitment behavior in ways that diverge from your conscious intentions.
- A structured, five-step framework for patient-centered recruitment, from establishing psychological safety through responding to emotional cues.
- Evidence-based communication and relationship-building strategies that increase patients’ willingness to enroll.
- Rapid self-regulation tools for navigating high-friction conversations with clarity and composure.
How the courses work
Short, interactive online learning grounded in peer-reviewed research and brought to life through realistic recruitment scenarios. Built for busy investigators and research teams: focused, practical, and designed so the strategies can be used in the next patient conversation. Each course ends with an assessment and a certificate of completion.
These courses were originally developed in collaboration with Close the Gap, a Boston Scientific initiative focused on access to specialty care, and are adapted by permission. [CONFIRM PERMISSION BEFORE PUBLISHING THIS LINE]
A note on credit for physician-investigators
The physician-facing course is designated for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit through our US accreditation. The American Medical Association and the UEMS-EACCME maintain a mutual recognition agreement under which many European national authorities recognize converted credits; recognition practices vary by country, so physicians should confirm with their national body. Research coordinators and study staff receive a certificate of completion, the standard credential for these roles.