Screening Smarter, Not Harder: How AI is Cutting Screen Failures by 60% in Clinical Trials
How do emerging biotech companies turn breakthrough science into approved treatments? The most likely answer is clinical trials—you know, those rigorous, complex, but also essential pathways that help bring innovations to life.
But here’s the catch.
Even the best-designed studies can be derailed by one persistent problem:
Screening failures.
Maybe your protocol looks solid, your sites are ready, and then... screening failures start piling up like unwanted fruitcakes during the holidays. One after another, potential participants just don't quite fit the criteria.
Frustrating? Of course. Expensive? Absolutely. But here's the thing: screening failures aren't just annoying speed bumps in your clinical trial journey—they're silent budget killers that can derail even the most promising studies.
Here’s how screening failures are impacting trials, especially in rare diseases:
81% of patients screened are ineligible.
56% of those who qualify fail to be randomized.
Patients and families often face onerous protocols, lengthy visits, and significant travel distances, making participation grueling.
For emerging sponsors running Phase 1/2 trials, every screening failure can feel like watching money vanish into thin air. Plus, your clinical operations team (you know, those 1-2 ‘superheroes’ juggling everything) is already stretched thin. They don't need more manual chart reviews eating up their precious time.
So, what’s the solution? Here’s what it’s not:
Another band-aid fix.
A fancy spreadsheet that adds to the chaos.
A time-consuming manual process that doesn’t scale.
What if there was a better way? A smarter way? We’re talking about AI that actually delivers on its promises—a technology that cuts through the noise and finds the right patients, FAST.
Ready to explore how today’s smart technology is flipping the script on screening failures and why your next trial might just hit those enrollment targets without breaking a sweat?
Let's dive in!
Screening failures 101: Why they happen and why they hurt
For starters, let’s kick things off with the basics: What is a screening failure?
Simply put, it’s when a potential participant goes through the initial screening process for a clinical trial and doesn’t meet the inclusion or exclusion criteria.
Think of it like dating. Sometimes, things look great on paper, but the chemistry just isn't there in person. Maybe they don’t have the right diagnosis, or their medical history doesn’t align with the trial’s protocol. Whatever the reason, they’re deemed ineligible, and just like that, all the time and effort spent identifying and contacting that patient is lost.
But why do these failures keep happening?
It all boils down to these three culprits:
Complex Protocols: As new therapies target highly specific conditions, trial eligibility criteria become increasingly detailed and restrictive. The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development recently found that complex protocols not only reduce the willingness of potential clinical trial participants to enroll but also negatively impact retention rates.
Outdated Workflows: Many research sites still rely on manual chart reviews, which are slow, tedious, and labor-intensive. A recent study in BMC Medical Research Methodology further highlights how traditional recruitment methods significantly contribute to patient recruitment delays and increased operational costs.
Incomplete Data: EHR systems often contain a mix of structured data (like lab results) and unstructured data (like physician notes). Notably, approximately 80% of clinical information in electronic health records is unstructured, making it challenging for traditional health information technology systems to utilize this data effectively.
What it really hurts, though? Your wallet.
Every screening failure is like watching money circle the drain. We're talking about site staff hours wasted on unsuitable candidates, delayed timelines that make your investors nervous, and the domino effect of missed enrollment targets. Worst of all, the longer it takes to enroll patients, the longer it takes to bring life-saving treatments to market.
Ultimately, screening failures aren’t just a minor inconvenience but a major roadblock for candidates. But what if there was a way to flip the script and reduce these failures by a significant margin? Luckily, there is, and it starts with AI!
Goodbye manual searches, hello instant matches!
Remember the days of complex database queries and endless manual searches? Neither do we…
We’ve made screening failures a thing of the past, meaning no spreadsheets, no endless queries, and absolutely no need for a PhD in data science. With Trially, it’s as easy as drag, drop, done.
When using our software, the AI takes over, breaking down even the most complex protocols into inclusion and exclusion criteria cards that are filter-friendly and ready to use.
Need to adjust your protocol? No problem! Just drag and drop your protocol into our system, grab a coffee, and come back to find your inclusion/exclusion criteria neatly organized into easy-to-use cards. Five minutes flat. No complicated coding, no head-scratching queries, no having to ask Dave from IT for help.
Now let’s talk about what happens after those criteria are set… hello, patient matches!
Trially’s real-time integration with EHRs pulls data from both structured sources (not just the structured fields everyone else sees, but all those rich, detailed notes hiding in plain sight like lab values, medical history, concomitant medications, etc. If it's in your EHR, we find it). This unlocks insights that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Within seconds, you can see exactly why a patient qualifies—or doesn’t—for your trial, helping you focus on the best candidates with pinpoint accuracy.
A success story: How one complex trial beat the odds
Recruitment for clinical trials can feel like navigating an impossible maze, and that was exactly the case for a large site network serving 4 million patients, drowning in manual chart reviews and watching screen failures pile up, who was tasked with enrolling patients for a complex weight-loss study for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS).
While facing mounting pressure to meet enrollment targets and curb operating costs, the site relied on traditional recruitment methods like social media ads, physician referrals, and EHR searches. But it wasn’t enough. Their coordinators were spending a mind-numbing 36 hours each month reviewing charts for just one protocol. Not exactly a recipe for success…
Right when they began to feel like they were being pushed back against the wall, the team turned to Trially’s AI matching software for help.
The Solution?
Fast protocol parsing: Six highly complex protocols were uploaded and transformed into inclusion/exclusion criteria cards in just five minutes each.
Real-time patient matching: Trially’s platform identified and prioritized hundreds of trial-ready candidates using both structured and unstructured EHR data.
Centralized recruitment: To maximize engagement, the team focused on high-quality candidates through tailored outreach—via phone or during upcoming clinic visits.
Pre-built integration: Trially’s technology worked seamlessly with the site’s existing EHR system, NextGen, ensuring no workflow disruption.
Hands-on support: Weekly feedback sessions and an in-platform "Feedback" feature helped refine processes and address staff needs in real-time.
In just six months, the results were transformational! We were able to double enrollment and significantly cut failures such as:
90% reduction in manual chart review hours, dropping from 36 hours to just 2.5 hours per month.
60% decrease in screen failure rates, from 52% to 20%, thanks to higher-quality patient matches.
2x more patients enrolled per month, doubling the site’s enrollment rate.
For the weight-loss study specifically, Trially helped pre-screen 500 trial-ready candidates and scheduled five top-quality patient visits before the Site Initiation Visit (SIV). Half of the enrolled patients came directly from Trially’s AI-powered matches, a testament to the platform’s precision.
What made sites so confident in adopting Trially? From day one, our advanced infrastructure security and compliance (HIPAA, SOC 2, FDA Part 11) set us apart. Unlike other vendors, we ensure each client's data stays completely isolated, with dedicated cloud storage and unique encryption keys. It's this combination of cutting-edge technology and bulletproof security that helped Trially become the #1 recruitment source for this cardiology site.
Ready to say goodbye to screening failures for good? Let’s make it happen!
Let's be honest—screening failures don’t have to be a bottleneck in your clinical trials anymore. With Trially, sites can finally turn the tide, eliminating wasted time and resources, accelerating patient enrollment, and empowering teams to focus on what truly matters: delivering life-saving treatments to those who need them most!
Plus, our numbers don’t lie. Remember the case study we shared earlier? That site slashed screening failures, cut manual workloads, and doubled enrollment—all in record time. Explore the full case study here to see exactly how they did it!
By combining simplicity, security, and precision, Trially transforms recruitment into a streamlined, results-driven process that sets sites up for long-term success. That means no more endless chart reviews, no more missed enrollment targets, just smarter, faster recruitment that actually works.
Ready to reengineer your recruitment strategy? Let's talk. Schedule a demo today and see firsthand how we can help you hit those enrollment targets without breaking a sweat!
