HopeStage guide
Why mental health trial recruitment fails before screening
The expensive failure often begins in the gap between a person seeing the study and arriving prepared at the site.
01
Reach is only the first stage
A campaign can perform well by media standards and still create operational waste. The real funnel includes understanding, practical fit, site contact, attendance and the authorized clinical decision.
02
Trust changes behavior
Mental health participation is shaped by stigma, privacy, identity, past care, placebo, medication changes, travel and emotional burden. If those questions remain unanswered, more traffic can amplify confusion.
- Explain purpose and burden before asking for details
- Use patient language without weakening approved science
- Design the handoff and feedback loop with sites
- Measure screening attendance and fit, not only clicks
03
Start with one bottleneck
Review one live study journey from first message to site follow-up. The most useful first change may be a clearer page, a better early-fit question, faster follow-up or a more honest explanation of burden.