Center with or Without a Coordinator? The Coordinator as an Integral Part of a Research Team

Abstract

: The entire clinical trial process is a perfectly orchestrated team. It took many years before centers started hiring clinical trial coordinators. The centers that decided to do so noted not only positive aspects from the technical side of the study, but also from the side of the participants - which are the patients. The aim of the publication was to collect literature data showing the work of the coordinator in the centers and its impact on increasing the effectiveness of the study. The comparison additionally included the importance of the coordinator’s role on patient recruitment and perceptions. The centers analyzed, showed the impact of the coordinator on their center’s research at approximately: 99.1% in China (knowledge of patient rights), 80% in Italy (increasing the quality of the clinical trial conducted) and 70% in South Korea (impact on reducing patient withdrawal of consent). Those teams that worked without the support of a coordinator gained less trust among patients, which affected recruitment and retention of participants. The coordinator’s influence on study management resulted in better organization of the study. Conclusions reached can support the development of centers and thus clinical trials around the world. Hiring a coordinator not only has an impact on improving the management of the study, but also on increasing the number of patients included, and thus increasing the therapeutic options in medicine. This paper aims to compile existing literature concerning the responsibilities of clinical trial coordinators and subsequently advocate for the value they bring to enhancing the efficacy and efficiency of clinical trials.