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RESOURCE LIBRARY · CLINICAL RESEARCH

Clinical trial compensation and reimbursement that keeps participants enrolled

Traditional clinical trial compensation strategies cost programs time, money, and, most importantly, participants.

Last year, TruCentive saved researchers hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct and administrative costs by helping update their clinical trial compensation and reimbursement programs to make them more compelling to participants, easier to manage, and more flexible to cope with the changing needs of researchers and their subjects.

HIPAA compliant · De-identification · Visa · AMEX · 3,000+ merchant gift cards

Clinical trial compensation workflow connecting a research program, reward delivery and participant retention
WHAT HAS CHANGED

The Changing Clinical Trial Landscape

Six shifts are reshaping how studies recruit, retain and pay their participants. Each statement below is quoted from the source named beneath it.

Increased Focus on Participant-Centricity

Patient-centricity in clinical trials has increased, with sponsors involving patients in the design process to ensure trials align with participants’ needs and preferences.

— Quanticate

Globalization

Globalization in clinical trials expands access to diverse populations, accelerates innovation, and enhances data reliability by incorporating varied demographics.

— Charles Darwin University

More Competitive Recruitment Environment

Recruiting participants for clinical trials is highly competitive, with approximately 85% of trials failing to enroll enough patients, leading to significant delays.

— Parexel

Rising Participant Expectations

Clinical trial participants increasingly expect personalized care, transparency, convenience, and technological integration, prompting sponsors to adopt participant-centric approaches to enhance recruitment, retention, and satisfaction.

— WCG

More Diverse and Inclusive Recruitment Goals

“Diversity Action Plans to Improve Enrollment of Participants from Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Studies.”

— (FDA) Draft Guidance

Cost Efficiency for Sponsors

Clinical trial sponsors increasingly focus on cost efficiency by leveraging automation, reducing manual processes, and optimizing resource allocation.

— MedCity News

90%

of clinical trials provide

compensation or reimbursement

20.5%

of compensation went

unclaimed in 2022

23%

better retention when

recipients choose the card

85%

of trials fail to enroll

enough patients

30%

of registered trials

include children

9.6%

of Phase I drugs

are ultimately approved

86%

of subjects select a variety

of gift cards per study

3,000+

merchant gift cards,

plus Visa and AMEX

PROGRAMME DESIGN

Three elements of a well-designed compensation program

Every clinical trial compensation and reimbursement programme that works is easy, compelling and flexible. The three sections that follow take each element in turn.

1. Easy to administer & easy for subjects

Easy compensation processes for both administrators and subjects in clinical trials are key to retention and engagement.

2. Compelling research & compensation

Compelling messaging, design, and attractive compensation options attract highly engaged and diverse audiences.

3. Flexibility to meet research & subject needs

Flexible compensation delivery and recipient options reduce management overhead while assuring subject retention.

EASY

EASY

Straightforward compensation allows administrators to allocate their time to the trial rather than logistical issues.

For subjects, prompt and hassle-free compensation is a tangible acknowledgment of their valuable participation and builds trust, ensuring they feel valued and respected in the process.

HIPAA-compliant clinical trial compensation and reimbursement
UCSF clinical trial researcher managing participant compensation
COMPELLING

COMPELLING

Approximately 30% of studies end up being terminated early because they cannot enroll enough participants. Compelling compensation options attract more subjects and retain them longer.

86% of subjects select a variety of gift cards throughout the course of any given study.

Only about 30% of all clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov include children, even though many drugs used in children have not been tested explicitly for pediatric use.

According to a study by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, only about 9.6% of drugs that start in Phase I clinical trials will ultimately be approved.

FLEXIBLE

FLEXIBLE

Flexibility in managing compensation delivery via SMS, email, or in-person with the ability to resend, edit, or revoke deliveries simplifies deliveries and ongoing management.

Subject flexibility in choice with options ranging from Visa, AMEX, 3,000+ merchant gift cards, and many physical card options.

Sample SMS message delivering clinical trial compensation
Clinical trial participant having her blood pressure checked
CLINICAL TRIAL FAST FACTS:

Clinical trial fast facts

  • 90% of clinical trials provide some form of compensation or reimbursement.
  • 20.5% of compensation went unclaimed in 2022
  • Programs letting recipients choose their gift card have a 23% better retention.
  • Offering more compensation options increases enrollment diversity.
  • Only about 30% of all clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov include children, even though many drugs used in children have not been tested explicitly for pediatric use.
  • The top five most popular gift cards choices among subjects include Visa, Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Best Buy
  • According to a study by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, only about 9.6% of drugs that start in Phase I clinical trials will ultimately be approved

SOURCES CITED ON THIS PAGE

QUANTICATE
PAREXEL
WCG
FDA
MEDCITY NEWS

“Retaining patients in clinical trials continues to be a challenge. On average, 25-30% of participants in Phase III trials drop out before the study completes.”

— Joshua D Grill, UCSF

CHOICE MATTERS

Compensation choice improves enrollment & retention by 23%

Offering participants a choice of gift cards or payment methods encourages enrollment and participation as subjects look to future needs. Programs letting recipients choose their gift card have a 23% better retention.

CHOICE MATTERS

Why choice matters in clinical trial compensation and reimbursement

Offering more compensation options increases enrollment diversity. The top five most popular gift cards choices among subjects include Visa, Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Best Buy.

By offering a choice of incentives to participants, researchers create a positive and rewarding experience, which can lead to increased motivation, engagement, and willingness to participate in future clinical trials.

Essentials
Uber Gift CardSafeway, Albertsons, Vons, Acme, Shaws, Randalls, Gift CardCVS Gift Card

Life
Amazon Gift CardVisa CardWalmart Gift Card

Entertainment
Fandango CardAMC gift cardhulu gift card

Increased sense of control

When participants are given a choice, they feel more in control of the process and more invested in the trial.

Enhanced motivation

By allowing participants to select a gift card that is most meaningful to them, they are more likely to be motivated to complete the trial and contribute to its success.

Positive association

Receiving a “desired” reward creates a stronger positive association with the trial and its organizers.

Perception of value

Selecting a gift card or payment that is personally relevant to them increases the perceived value of the incentive.

WHAT RESEARCH ETHICISTS SAY

Choice, autonomy and the ethics of paying participants

Three published statements on why compensation choice is an ethical question and not only an operational one.

Respecting participant autonomy

“The cornerstone of ethical research is respecting participant autonomy. By providing choices in compensation, we move closer to realizing this ideal.”

— Prof. Elise Kim, Research Ethicist

One size doesn’t fit all

“Compensation choice acknowledges that one size doesn’t fit all. Just as each individual’s response to treatment can be unique, so can their preferences and needs related to compensation.”

— Prof. Elise Kim, Research Ethicist

Choice at every stage

“True patient-centered research recognizes the importance of choice at every stage, including compensation.”

— Dr. Nina Patel, Patient Engagement Specialist

HIPAA

HIPAA-Compliant Secure Compensation and Reimbursement for Research Studies

Research Compensation can be a powerful tool for encouraging participation and engagement in research activities, such as Clinical Trials. Protecting patient privacy is a critical component of healthcare research.

TruCentive allows clinical trial providers to streamline their compensation and reimbursement operations and improve recruitment and retention.

  • Completely de-identify subjects in research programs
  • Include subject ID’s to maintain privacy while tracking compensation
  • Easy administration with Ad-hoc and file upload options
  • Reduce management overhead with “revoke” and “resend” options
  • Automatic reminders increase retention and redemption
  • Track compensation claim rates and identify popular options (Visa, Amazon, PayPal)
HIPAA compliance logo
Clinical trial compensation and reimbursement brochure cover
HIPAA

HIPAA – De-identification

De-identification enables Research or Trial Coordinators to enroll research subjects in compensation and reimbursement programs without compromising personally identifiable information (PII). When de-identification is active, all email addresses of subjects enrolled in a compensation program are permanently anonymized within TruCentive. This allows members of your organization platform access for funds management, reporting, and project design without concerns related to data privacy.

HIPAA compliance is crucial to protecting the rights of participants. Protecting participants’ privacy is vital to compliance with privacy standards. TruCentive’s de-identification of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) automatically alters information that could directly or indirectly reveal an individual’s identity.

  • Project Based
  • Personalized
  • Branded

De-identification removes or masks personal identifiers, thereby protecting participants’ privacy. This is crucial in clinical trials where sensitive health information is involved. By ensuring that individual participants cannot be easily identified, it encourages greater participation rates, as individuals are more likely to contribute to research when assured of their privacy.

TYPICAL CADENCE

The reminder cadence that gets compensation claimed

Day 0

Initial compensation delivery

Day 0 – Initial incentive delivery. Administrators may choose to deliver incentives via email, SMS message, or printed for in-person delivery, depending on your preference.

Day 1

First reminder of unclaimed compensation

Day 1 – Reminder for unclaimed compensation. Initial incentive award messages are followed up with automated reminders to help assure that participants claim their reward.

Day 5

Second reminder of unclaimed compensation

Day 5 – Reminder for unclaimed compensation.

Day 15

Additional reminders as needed

Day 15 – Additional reminders as needed.

Final

A final reminder before expiration

A final reminder 5 days prior to the expiration of your incentive offer. Post-claim messages may be used in various ways, including additional feedback requests to reinforce the importance of your study or add an extra thank you.

TruCentive clinical trial compensation template
TWO SIDES OF ONE DELIVERY

What the researcher controls, what the subject sees

 

Researcher

Subject

Chooses email, SMS or printed in-person delivery

Adds subjects individually or loads a complete list

Can edit, resend or revoke a delivery

Tracks claim rates and identifies popular options

Receives the delivery by email, SMS or in person

Chooses the gift card or payment on a branded claim page

Is de-identified inside the platform

Gets automated reminders until the incentive is claimed

Sees post-claim feedback and thank-you messages

RESEARCHER EXPERIENCE

Researcher Experience: convenience & flexibility

The research incentive sending process should be uncomplicated, seamless and flexible for administrators.

Administrators may choose to deliver incentives via email, SMS message, or printed for in-person delivery, depending on your preference.

Initial incentive award messages are followed up with automated reminders to help assure that participants claim their reward.

Post-claim messages may be used in various ways, including additional feedback requests to reinforce the importance of your study or add an extra thank you.

Incentive and Reward Delivery. Add subjects individually or load a complete list for instant delivery.

Adding a clinical trial participant to a compensation program
UCSF clinical trial compensation project dashboard
SUBJECT EXPERIENCE

Subject Experience: a more compelling clinical trial compensation and reimbursement process

The clinical trial compensation process should be seamless and flexible for subjects because it respects their autonomy, ensures a more diverse participant pool, and enhances retention and compliance, ultimately supporting the integrity and success of the research.

Compensation choice can be delivered via email, SMS message, or printed for in-person delivery, depending on the need and trial logistics. Initial messages followed up with automated reminders help assure ongoing engagement. Post-claim messages may be used in various ways, including additional feedback requests to reinforce the importance of your study or add an extra thank you.

Subject compensation claim page. Compensation choice improves enrollment & retention by 23%.

COMPENSATION DELIVERY

Edit, resend or revoke a delivery

Add subjects individually or load a complete list for instant delivery.

Flexibility in managing compensation delivery via SMS, email, or in-person with the ability to resend, edit, or revoke deliveries simplifies deliveries and ongoing management, and reduces management overhead with “revoke” and “resend” options.

Editing clinical trial participant delivery details in TruCentive
GET STARTED

Modernize your clinical trial compensation and reimbursement

Design Sessions are a great way to review best practices and build a complete, branded compensation delivery with your logo, look, feel and message. Or sign up and explore TruCentive on your own — no credit card is required to design and send samples.

Related reading: seven essentials of research compensation, clinical trial retention management and flexible payment options in clinical trials.

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