Blog | Bringing precision to clinical trial feasibility

Solution Specialist Isabel Baker at Optum UK takes a closer look at how primary care data is revolutionising the landscape of clinical research in the UK.

As we approach Clinical Trials Day on May 20, 2025, it's an opportune moment to reflect on the advancements shaping the future of clinical research. One such innovation is Optum's enhanced feasibility service for Recruit, a tool designed to transform the early phases of study planning by using real-world primary care data to select the best locations by reviewing the eligible, contactable patient population on behalf of participating EMIS practices.

In my experience working with sponsors on UK-based trials, one of the most consistent challenges has been patient recruitment. Too often, trials launch with over optimistic site strategies and limited insight into actual eligible populations. Sponsors find themselves months behind schedule, unable to hit recruitment targets, increased costs, and sometime forced to close studies prematurely. I have seen first- hand how if robust, data-driven feasibility tools had been available earlier, many of these trials could have succeeded, bringing life-changing interventions to patients faster.

This is exactly what Optum’s feasibility service is designed to address. By working in collaboration with primary care, the service can provide insight into the location of eligible populations across 13 million patients living in England. This service enables sponsors to:

Bring more studies to the UK: through increased confidence in the actual eligible population size and the ability of the UK to support global targets.
Set achievable recruitment targets: based on data-driven insights, sponsors can set achievable targets to ensure their study recruits to time and target.
Identify optimal sites: pinpoint geographic locations with high concentrations of eligible patients across England, facilitating strategic site selection based on actionable patient populations.
Understand demographic diversity: review detailed demographics reports for the study's population cohort, including ethnicity and language , to enable inclusive trial recruitment from the outset.

By integrating these capabilities, Optum’s feasibility service provides actionable data-driven insights to help sponsors make informed decisions, reducing the risk of under-enrollment and expediting the path to trial completion. Whilst the results of a feasibility assessment are aggregate, every single patient identified has the potential to go on and be invited to participate in the trial by their GP using Recruit once a study is published in their area.

In the spirit of Clinical Trials Day, embracing such innovations underscores our collective dedication to advancing medical science and improving patient outcomes. Optum's commitment to leveraging real-world data exemplifies the strides we're making toward more efficient and effective clinical research.

For sponsors seeking to enhance trial feasibility and execution, exploring Optum's services could be a pivotal step forward. To learn more or schedule a demonstration, get in touch below.

Disclaimer
This article was prepared by Isabel Baker in a personal capacity. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by the author of this piece belong to the author and do not purport to represent the views, thoughts and opinions of Optum. Any general health information contained in this article is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for your doctor’s care.

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About the author

Isabel Baker

Market solution specialist - Life Sciences