Most clinical investigators begin by reviewing the patient population in their practice group and other patients in the hospital database where they practice to identify potentially suitable subjects. In addition, both the Office of Clinical Research and the TN-CTSI can help you.
The Office of Clinical Research can provide PIs with research coordinator/s who can help with various steps involved in setting up a trial, including the enrollment of patients.
The TN-CTSI also has a wealth of resources listed on their Recruitment webpage. Look for their TN-CTSI Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC) which can introduce you to a variety of tools for finding and recruiting study participants, ranging from Electronic Health Records (EHR) to strong community connections, particularly with diverse underserved population groups. Read and download the comprehensive 4-page document, CTSI Research Study Recruitment Resources Digital Document, which covers just about every resource available to UTHSC investigators, including the Electronic Data Warehouse, ResearchMatch, Social Media, Radio, Print, Health Fairs, Mass Mailing, and other local options. And for a great overview of recruitment strategies, the TN-CTSI has an excellent video presentation, Research 102, Session 2, “Subject Recruitment”.
Finally, The Office of Research is working in conjunction with TN-CTSI to provide a list of all clinical trials underway at UTHSC. This interactive list will be a tool that lets potential participants indicate their interest in being contacted by study teams about clinical research studies being done UTHSC.