Helping participants find, understand, and join the right clinical trial.
A mobile app that helps people find clinical trials and sign up. The CRO reads the same form each participant filled out, instead of chasing details by phone.
One flow
Discovery, consent, and pre-qualification all in one app, instead of three.
Visible consent
Participants can see what they've shared, who has it, and pull it back any time.
Intake that just works
The form a participant fills out is the form the CRO reads. No retyping.
Faster screening
What used to take weeks of phone calls now takes one review pass.
Context
An inclusive, HIPAA-aware clinical-trial app for participants and CROs.
Clinical trials are essential for medical progress but can be hard to access, especially for marginalized groups. People may face trust issues, information gaps, and complex enrollment processes. TrialsConnect helps participants find relevant trials, understand what they involve, and manage how their data is shared, with HIPAA requirements in mind.
Problem
Four barriers between participants and the trials they could join.
People face significant barriers when looking for and joining clinical trials.
Lack of Awareness
People struggle to find trials that fit their needs across scattered, non-personalized resources.
Trust Issues
Concerns about data misuse discourage participation.
Complex Enrolment
Existing processes are tedious and often exclude underrepresented communities.
Recruitment Challenges for CROs
Clinical research organisations face delays due to inefficient participant pre-qualification.
Project goal
What TrialsConnect set out to solve.
Simplify the trial discovery and enrollment process.
Build trust with secure, transparent data-sharing mechanisms.
Create an inclusive and engaging platform.
Improve recruitment efficiency for clinical research organizations.
Research
A phased approach across domain, competitive, and stakeholder research.
Research Methodology
Our research approach was structured to build a deep understanding of the clinical trial landscape, regulatory requirements, existing solutions, and the perspectives of clinical research organizations. We followed a phased approach: Domain Research (Clinical Trials and HIPAA Compliance), Competitive Analysis, and Stakeholder Interviews.
Phase 01
Domain Research
Clinical trials and HIPAA compliance.
Phase 02
Competitive Analysis
Five active participant-recruitment platforms.
Phase 03
Stakeholder Interviews
Two CRO representatives running live recruitment.
Domain Research · Clinical Trials and HIPAA Compliance
Before diving into stakeholder-specific research, we conducted thorough desk research on clinical trials and HIPAA regulations. This foundational step was crucial for:
Understanding the Clinical Trial Process
We researched the phases of clinical trials, the roles of participants, researchers, CROs, and sponsors, and common recruitment challenges.
Ensuring HIPAA Compliance
We reviewed HIPAA guidelines and digital application standards to understand requirements for data security, privacy, consent, access control, audit trails, data minimization, and secure communication.
Informing Subsequent Research
This background knowledge allowed us to ask more informed questions during stakeholder interviews and critically evaluate existing solutions during the competitive analysis.
Competitive Analysis
I conducted a competitive analysis of existing platforms and solutions in the clinical trial recruitment space. This analysis helped us identify strengths and weaknesses among key competitors and define our unique value proposition for TrialsConnect.
Criteria
AutoCruitmentDirect outreach to trial participants.
AntidoteHealthcare partners build trust.
BBK WorldwideLong-standing recruitment expertise.
Science37Decentralized, accessibility-first.
Medpace · TrialPACEFull-service CRO platform.
Strengths
1,500+ digital channels for broad outreach.
Fast registration; clear next-step notifications.
Non-profit partnerships add credibility.
Tailored trial-match recommendations.
Deep recruitment experience and brand recognition.
Interactive outreach content.
Decentralized trials reach people who cannot travel.
Following the domain research and competitive analysis, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 2 stakeholders. Our participants included:
Participants
2 CRO Representatives
Professionals responsible for clinical trial recruitment and management. We aimed to get a wide range of perspectives from CROs of different sizes and specializations.
Interview Objectives
01Understand the challenges participants face during trial enrollment.
02Identify the needs of CROs in recruiting and managing clinical trials.
03Explore current pain points in data security and trust.
04Determine how the experience should adapt to different participant groups.
05Uncover the key features that the app must prioritize.
Interview Approach
01We used a semi-structured interview format, starting with broad, open-ended questions and then probing deeper based on the participant's responses.
02We focused on understanding the participant's experiences, motivations, and frustrations related to clinical trials.
03We created a safe and welcoming environment to encourage participants to share their honest opinions and perspectives.
Key Insights from Stakeholders
Enrollment Challenges
People struggle to understand enrollment steps and eligibility criteria, which can deter participation.
Barriers to Participation
Common barriers include lack of awareness, safety concerns, and logistical issues such as travel.
Need for a Dedicated App
There is a clear need for a dedicated clinical trial app to enhance access to information and improve the user experience.
Diverse User Motivations
Users are motivated by factors such as seeking new treatments, financial incentives, and the desire to contribute to medical research.
Engagement Strategies
Current communication methods are often insufficient; more interactive and personalized strategies are needed to keep participants engaged.
Data Security Concerns
Addressing concerns about data security is crucial for building trust in the app among users.
Persona
The participant TrialsConnect is built for.
The primary persona was a patient, but the experience is designed for anyone considering a clinical trial.
Wireframes
Mapping seven flows in low-fidelity for fast stakeholder feedback.
Onboarding, trial discovery, and consent each got walked through in greyscale first. Cheap to redraw, fast to validate. Wireframes went in front of the CRO leads to test that the structure actually held before any visual investment.
Iterations
Two feedback-driven changes before the final designs.
The first home page was doing too much, and people couldn't tell what to look at first. Switched to a card layout so participants see the most important information first.
Onboarding asked too many questions. Cut them down, and put a short note next to each one explaining why we needed it.
Style guide
The visual language behind the product.
Final designs
Seven core flows across the participant journey.
Login & OnboardingSplash screen, then short videos that walk through what the app does. New and returning users land in the same fast sign-in and get straight into something built around them.
Intake FormThree quick steps: who the participant is helping, what the condition is, and a bit about who they are. Enough to start showing useful trials right away.
HomepageReminds participants to finish their profile, puts trials and articles one tap away, and gives a quick read on where their active applications stand.
TrialsRecommended trials up top, filters for condition, location and phase, plus tabs for trials the participant has applied to and a record of past activity.
Trial DetailsEverything participants need to decide: what the trial is, the phases, who can join, what they get paid, and how their data is handled. A summary modal sits between them and the application, so nothing gets sent off without reading.
ProfileA small completion bar nudges participants to fill out their profile. The more they share, the better their trial matches get.
Manage My DataParticipants see which organizations have their data, and can hide specific fields or pull access entirely. HIPAA covered without making people feel locked out of their own record.
Impact
Expected outcomes and what I'd improve next time.
This was a Figma prototype prepared for market testing, so there are no post-launch metrics. The outcomes below reflect feedback from two CRO leads and subject-matter experts who helped shape the brief: a simpler way for participants to find trials, track progress, and control their data.
One flow
Discovery, consent, and pre-qualification all in one app, instead of three.
Visible consent
Participants can see what they've shared, who has it, and pull it back any time.
Intake that just works
The form a participant fills out is the form the CRO reads. No retyping.
Faster screening
What used to take weeks of phone calls now takes one review pass.
What I'd do next. Test the flow somewhere with real pressure on it: a waiting room, a clinic intake desk. We shipped a guided path because it was the cheaper call for v1, but a self-service version would probably cut the whole process down further.
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