Implementation of a clinical trial patient recruitment tool and process in Australian general practice: A qualitative perspective

Background: Recruiting participants for clinical trials poses significant challenges, which can result in escalating costs, delay, and possible abandonment of the trial. Torch Recruit is a software tool that is developed to streamline recruitment process by identifying general practice patients who meet the recruitment criteria specific to a clinical trial by interrogating the patient electronic medical record (EMR) database, thereby optimizing trial recruitment. The aim of the study was to explore the use, acceptability and feasibility of Torch Recruit to support patient recruitment in Australian general practice. Methods: Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were completed with four practice staff, nine research staff and ten patients. between January to September 2023, to explore the use of Torch Recruit to recruit and manage patients in clinical trials. Data were thematically analysed and interpreted using the updated Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research. Results: Both practice and research staff expressed that Torch Recruit was a well-designed, intuitive tool, enabling accurate and automatic identification of eligible patients for clinical trials. Identifying eligible patients using trial inclusion and exclusion reduced time spent on otherwise traditional methods such as identifying patients through practice electronic medical records or through waiting room recruitment. Patient privacy was mentioned as a possible concern for participants. However, having patient related data stored within the practice, limiting patient information access, as well as having practice and research staff trained in patient recruitment using Torch Recruit, alleviated most concerns. Patients’ trust in their GPs and their general practice were seen as a facilitator in patient trial recruitment. Conclusions: Patient recruitment into any clinical trial is often difficult. This study demonstrated that using an innovative tool such as Torch Recruit provides accurate identification of eligible participants, can streamline a time-consuming process that aligns with practice workflow.