A discussion with Tanya Kogan, Product Lead at Greenphire 

When you hear the term “Patient Convenience” as it relates to participation in clinical trials, what does that mean to you? How do participant payments fit into the equation? 

I think it refers to minimizing the barriers and challenges that participants face during the trial process. This can involve a variety of factors, such as making trial locations more accessible, offering flexible scheduling for visits, reducing the time and effort required for participation, and streamlining the paperwork and logistics. 

When it comes to the process of receiving payment or compensation for participating in clinical trials, simplicity is key. Payments should be straightforward, prompt, and consistent. Offering flexible options like direct deposit, digital wallets, or prepaid cards ensures participants can easily access their funds. Transparency is equally important—patients need to know when and how they’ll be paid to feel valued and engaged. 

How can incorporating patient payment preferences impact recruitment, retention, and overall trial success? Are there any examples you’ve seen where this approach made a measurable difference? 

Simplifying and streamlining payments not only helps attract and keep participants in the study but it also enhances the integrity of the trial itself. 94% of sites and 96% of sponsors and CROs identified real-time payment capabilities as an essential aspect of providing an optimal participant experience. When participants feel their involvement is valued, they’re more likely to stay committed, which in turn drives the trial’s success. 

Offering real-time, convenient payment methods can make a trial more appealing to potential participants. For instance, about 60% of clinical trial participants expect reimbursement for all out-of-pocket expenses and believe they are not responsible for covering costs. Simply put, if people know they’ll be compensated quickly and without hassle, they may be more likely to sign up and stay enrolled. 

Consistent and fair payments help build trust with trial organizers – it signals that they are organized, reliable and respectful of their time. This can help improve patient engagement – participants are more likely to actively engage in the trial, follow through with study protocols, and report results more accurately. 

What are some of the common barriers to implementing patient payment flexibility in clinical trials, and how can sponsors and CROs overcome these challenges? 

There are definitely hurdles sponsors or CROs may encounter when it comes to making patient-centered payment systems a reality. Here’s what I’ve seen as the most common barriers: 

  • Regulations. Clinical trials are highly regulated, and compensation has to align with local laws, which can get tricky—especially with things like tax implications or international participants. The best way to handle this is to work with payment providers who really understand global compliance so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. 
  • Budget constraints. Adding technology for flexible payments can feel like a big investment upfront. But honestly, the return on that investment is worth it—when participants are happy, they stick around, and that can save so much in the long run – not to mention the time savings across site resources when using a simple solution. 
  • Technological integration. A lot of trials are still running on legacy systems, so introducing modern payment options can feel like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. That’s where third-party providers come in—they can bridge the gap and make integrations easier. 
  • Data privacy. This is a big one. Handling payments means dealing with sensitive info like banking details, and you’ve got to make sure your systems are secure and compliant with regulations like GDPR or HIPAA. It’s non-negotiable but can take some effort to set it up right. 
  • Varied preferences. People want different things—some prefer direct deposit, others want digital options or even a prepaid card. Accommodating all of these preferences can feel overwhelming, but that’s what providers like Greenphire do – we make it easy for you to provide participants with flexible options to meet their unique needs. 

These challenges can seem daunting, but with the right approach and partners, they’re absolutely solvable. It’s all about keeping the participant experience front and center. 

Technology plays a growing role in enabling the patient’s experience. What types of tools or methodologies do you think are most effective in supporting patient-level preferences? 

Technology is becoming a key player in making patient payments smoother and more adaptable to individual preferences. To support patient-level preferences effectively, a mix of flexible tools and methodologies is needed. 

There are now a variety of digital payments that a modern participant should expect as a form of payment for their participation in the clinical trial.  Bank transfers or direct deposits, along with digital wallets (such as PayPal, Venmo) and prepaid cards (for patients that might not have access to a bank account) are some of the common ways in which patients can be paid digitally, ensuring that payment is accurate and instantaneous. 

Offering patients self-service platforms, like an app or a website, where they can submit their receipts for reimbursement, track their payments, update preferences, and manage payment-related inquiries can offer them more control. 

While it’s crucial to offer patients flexibility and simplicity, it’s also important to help reduce site burden by facilitating automated payments – triggering pre-set payments based on certain activity and/or site visits. 

As we look to the future, how do you envision the patient’s experience evolving, and what steps can organizations take today to stay ahead in designing more patient-centric trials? 

Looking to the future, I envision the patient experience in clinical trials becoming more personalized, efficient, and seamlessly integrated into people’s daily lives. I believe this will be driven by advances in technology, data insights, and a stronger focus on patient needs and preferences. 

Organizations that help facilitate clinical trials need to embrace technology – both what’s available now, as well as looking into the future, and anticipating advances in wearable devices, sensors, and mobile health apps.  This will enable more individuals to participate in clinical trials and do so remotely from the comfort of their own home if that is a viable option for the respective study. 

Technology advancements can also help reduce site burden through the use of integrated clinical trial tools and software. I also think we will see a growth in self-service apps that make management, support and responsiveness in clinical trials easier. 

Finally, when it comes to reimbursing participants, we will continue to see new and evolving digital payment methods – digital wallets and other methods that participants use in their daily lives, with easy and instant access to their funds. 

Want to unlock the power of patient preference in your clinical trials? 

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