From bottlenecks to breakthroughs: Human-centred strategies for faster study starts

Clinical trial startup is increasingly complex. Sites face longer timelines, heavier burdens and persistent delays in contracting and budgeting. ICON’s recent industry survey of over 100 principal investigators and senior site professionals reveals these challenges and the need for smarter, more supportive approaches to site activation.

This whitepaper outlines the results from our industry survey and highlights the actionable strategies of how ICON is supporting sponsors to streamline start-up and empower clinical sites including:

• Implementing site engagement approaches that balance alignment and competing priorities

• Utilising human-enabled predictive analytics to identify optimal sites and streamline budget and contract negotiations

• Adopting data-informed over-selection strategies to improve site readiness and reduce attrition

• Accelerating contract and budget negotiations with SmartDraft AI, cutting cycle times and speeding activation

• Building stronger site relationships through dedicated liaisons and embedded experts who drive momentum

• Simplifying site training, documentation and communication with the FIRECREST portal for faster, tech-enabled startup