The numbers behind the problem.
Participant dropout is the most expensive operational risk in clinical trials. And it starts with a comprehension gap that existing tools don't address.
cost to replace each dropped participant
annual CRO staff turnover rate
higher dropout with poor consent comprehension
of U.S. adults have proficient health literacy
Sources: $19.5K — Tufts CSDD; 24–29% — BDO Life Sciences 2024; 2.2x — PMC meta-analysis; 12% — National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
The business case for participant comprehension.
Every dropped participant, every burned-out coordinator, every delayed timeline has a dollar figure attached. Here's what the research shows.
Average cost to replace one dropped participant
Recruiting, screening, and onboarding a replacement participant costs your trial nearly $20K per seat. For a 200-participant study, even a 10% improvement in retention saves nearly $400K in re-recruitment costs alone.
Source: Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD)
Higher dropout when participants don't understand consent
Participants who leave the consent visit without true comprehension are more than twice as likely to drop out. Improving understanding at enrollment directly protects your retention numbers and trial timelines.
Source: PMC meta-analysis of informed consent comprehension and retention
Of coordinators consider their workload excessive
Coordinator burnout drives turnover, and turnover disrupts continuity of care. Every repetitive question a coordinator fields is time not spent on protocol-critical work. Reducing low-value touchpoints protects your most valuable operational asset.
Source: BMC Health Services Research 2025
Retention and operational efficiency—one platform.
Two sub-jobs that drive the purchase: retain more participants, and free coordinators from low-value touchpoints.
Retention job
Reduce the number of participants who drop out because they're confused, overwhelmed, or disengaged. Participants who don't understand their trial are 2.2x more likely to drop out; each additional grade level of reading difficulty adds 16% higher dropout risk.
2.2x — PMC meta-analysis. 16% — Health literacy research
Operational efficiency job
Reduce low-value coordinator touchpoints—the "when is my next visit?" calls—so coordinators focus on clinical tasks, not logistics. Coordinators spend 15–30% of their time fielding the same questions; 78% consider their workload excessive.
15–30% — ACRP industry surveys. 78% — BMC Health Services Research 2025
Participant job → buyer outcome mapping
| Participant job | Buyer pain resolved | Metric to highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Understand the study | Fewer confusion-driven dropouts | Retention rate, early dropout % |
| Know what's coming next | Fewer missed/rescheduled visits | Visit compliance rate |
| Get answers on demand | Fewer inbound coordinator calls | Call volume per participant |
| Involve my caregiver | Stronger support = better adherence | Caregiver activation rate |
How Clear Trials compares.
Every alternative has a tradeoff. Here's what you need to know.
Status quo
Manual coordinator support doesn't scale. Quantify coordinator hours per participant, cost per dropout, timeline delays—the invisible cost becomes visible as trials grow.
Point solutions
eConsent, reminder apps, resource portals—the participant's job isn't modular. One platform vs. three vendors, three apps, three integrations.
Build it ourselves
The job of a CRO is to run trials, not build participant software. Plain-language synthesis and semantic search against ICFs are hard product problems. Clear Trials can be live in weeks, not quarters.
Simple to integrate. Nothing to disrupt.
Clear Trials fits into your existing workflow. No new systems for coordinators to learn.
Upload documents
Share your IRB-approved consent forms and protocols. We generate plain-language versions using AI guardrails designed in consultation with IRB professionals.
You review and approve
Every simplified document goes through your review. You edit anything you want. Complete audit trails. Nothing reaches participants without your sign-off.
Participants access 24/7
Coordinators provide access codes at enrollment. Participants see their trial information simplified, searchable, and always available from any device.
You see the impact
Aggregate comprehension and engagement metrics across your trials. No individual participant data shared without consent.
What we never do.
Our AI operates within strict, contained boundaries—designed in consultation with IRB professionals. We simplify. We don't spin.
Add claims that aren't in the source document
Minimize risks or side effects
Use promotional language
Provide medical advice or alter voluntary participation framing
HIPAA-compliant. Designed to support ICH-GCP compliance. No PHI in our application database.
Also built for site networks and sponsors.
If you manage multiple sites or sponsor trials, Clear Trials can standardize how participants access trial information across your portfolio.
- Standardize participant comprehension support across sites
- Aggregate engagement and comprehension metrics across your network
- Support decentralized trials where you can't explain in person
- Offer Clear Trials as a value-added service to your sponsors