CU Anschutz Clinical Research Recruitment Program Doubles Study Inquiries Through Website Redesign
核心洞察
The Clinical Research Recruitment Program at CU Anschutz (搜索) redesigned its research studies website, leading to a doubling of submissions through "Get Started Now" forms.
Nationally, about one-third of clinical trials fail to meet recruitment goals, causing costly timeline extensions and delayed discoveries.
The program, launched in late 2023 under the CCTSI grant, supports investigators across CU Anschutz (搜索), UCHealth, and Children's Hospital Colorado.
When someone wants to participate in a clinical trial, finding the right opportunity should not feel like a research project of its own. Thanks to the work of Kiley Vander Wyst, PhD, MPH, assistant director of clinical trials operations at CU Anschutz (搜索), and a cross-campus team, that process is becoming significantly more accessible for community members seeking clinical research opportunities.
"The biggest challenge for many clinical trials isn't the science – it's recruitment," Vander Wyst said. "We have incredible research happening across campus, but helping the right people learn about those opportunities can be one of the most time-consuming and costly parts of the process."
Nationally, approximately one-third of clinical trials do not meet their recruitment goals, often requiring timeline extensions that increase costs and delay discoveries. Recognizing this persistent challenge, CU Anschutz (搜索) launched the Clinical Research Recruitment Program in late 2023 as part of the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (搜索) (CCTSI) grant, with the aim of better supporting investigators and improving access to research opportunities.
Website Redesign Drives Measurable Impact
One of the program's most significant accomplishments has been the redesign of the research studies website, a public resource where community members can browse active clinical studies and express interest in participating. Through the Institute of Healthcare Quality, Safety and Efficiency's Improvement Academy, the team surveyed researchers across campus and partnered with the School of Medicine UX Design team to analyze how people navigated the site and where they encountered challenges.
"We really wanted to hear the voice of our customers," Vander Wyst said. "It was important that we didn't just collect feedback – we acted on it."
The results have been striking. Since launching the redesigned site, submissions through the website's "Get Started Now" forms have doubled, connecting significantly more potential participants directly with study teams.
Recognition and Collaborative Approach
The project recently earned first place in the CU Innovation & Efficiency Awards, recognizing the team's thoughtful, data-driven approach to improving the user experience. The team is also preparing a manuscript to share their work with the broader academic community.
Vander Wyst emphasized that the recognition reflects a collective effort. "This absolutely was a team effort," she said. "It wouldn't have been possible without everyone's expertise and collaboration."
The Clinical Research Recruitment Program supports research teams across CU Anschutz (搜索), UCHealth, and Children's Hospital Colorado through multiple services, including the research studies website, social media campaigns, the Study Spotlight newsletter, and educational workshops focused on recruitment best practices.
A Model for Collaborative Clinical Research
Vander Wyst highlighted the unique collaborative environment that enables this work. "I really love working at CU Anschutz (搜索) because of the collaborative environment," she said. "The partnerships between the university, UCHealth, Children's Hospital Colorado and the VA allow us to do clinical research at a scale that wouldn't be possible otherwise."
The program's success demonstrates how user-centered design and institutional collaboration can address one of clinical research's most persistent bottlenecks: connecting willing participants with the studies that need them.