SMS workflows for clinical trial recruitment
Use short text messages to follow up on enquiries, remind patients about next steps and reconnect when appropriate. Clinrol Connect supports SMS reminders and follow-up, with SMS activity connected to the patient record.
Keep each text focused
- Enquiry follow-up
- “Thanks for your interest in Example Study A, Alex. Please contact the study team to discuss the next step.”
- Screening follow-up
- “A reminder to discuss the screening questions for Example Study A with the study team.”
- Next-step reminder
- “Please check the details of the next step you agreed with the Example Study A team.”
Short messages for the next recruitment step
A text can acknowledge an enquiry or remind someone about an agreed next step without repeating a full study-information pack. Clinrol Connect describes automated reminders, follow-ups and re-engagement campaigns as part of its communication workflows.
SMS belongs alongside the rest of the patient’s communication history. A coordinator can review the context before deciding whether another message or a personal conversation is more appropriate.
The sequence below is an illustrative communication plan, not a specification for automatic triggers, reply routing or delivery status. Confirm those operational details for your site before using them in a study workflow.
Worked example: enquiry, screening follow-up and a reminder
Illustrative sequence for Alex Sample and Example Study A. The synthetic messages are examples of wording, not saved product templates or a promise of a particular send schedule.
- Step 1
Enquiry follow-up
A short text acknowledges Alex’s interest and points to the next conversation with the study team.
- Step 2
Screening follow-up
A later message reminds Alex to discuss the screening questions with the team.
- Step 3
An agreed reminder
A brief reminder relates to a next step already discussed with Alex.
- Step 4
Coordinator review
The coordinator reviews the patient’s communication history and decides whether personal follow-up is needed.
What sms workflows includes
Text follow-up
Use SMS for concise follow-up during the recruitment journey.
Reminders
Support communication about the patient’s next recruitment step.
Re-engagement messages
Use text as part of reconnecting with previous enquiries when appropriate.
Patient-record context
Review SMS activity alongside calls, notes and other patient context.
Frequently asked questions
- What kinds of SMS follow-up does Clinrol Connect support?
- Its documented communication scope includes automated reminders, follow-ups and re-engagement campaigns. SMS activity is connected to the patient record.
- Does the example show actual automatic triggers?
- No. It shows a possible communication sequence. Ask the team to demonstrate the available trigger configuration for your intended workflow.
- How are replies and opt-outs handled?
- Ask Clinrol to demonstrate reply handling, opt-out and withdrawal behaviour for your setup, including messages already queued. This page does not specify routing or suppression rules.
- Can we rely on delivery reporting in every region?
- Confirm delivery-reporting capabilities and regional availability with Clinrol for the countries and workflow you need before rollout.
- When should staff follow up personally?
- A coordinator should review the context and decide when a personal conversation is appropriate. Text messages do not replace staff judgement or study-team decisions.
Works alongside
Scheduling
Book qualified patients into staff calendars from the patient record, with automated reminders before each visit.
Read about schedulingPatient re-engagement
Reconnect with previous enquiries and organise appropriate follow-up without treating earlier interest as current eligibility.
Read about patient re-engagementSee sms workflows with your own study in mind
Book a walkthrough of Clinrol Connect and bring your screening questions and recruitment workflow.