Creating an effective website for your clinical trial is essential to recruiting participants, ensuring accessible information, and improving the transparency of the trial. Undoubtedly you’ve read all about the importance of a dedicated study website and now you’re wondering how to make that happen. 

A simple, yet intuitive user flow with the right mix of copy and multimedia are part of our recipe for creating a well-designed website and experience for your trial participants. In this blog post, we will discuss some key elements that go into it.

1. User-Friendly Design:

The website should be designed to be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and accessible to a wide range of users. The site should have a clear and concise layout, with simple navigation and intuitive controls. The design should be consistent with the branding of the study, should be visually appealing to users, and should adhere to the latest UX/UI best practices.

2. Clear and Concise Information (That Participants Want):

Less is more! Clear and concise information about the clinical trial can go a long way in ensuring retention of the information. In addition, this should be information that people want. Key topics that prospective participants want to know include:

• The purpose of the study
• Information about the drug being studied
• Duration of participation
• Location of sites
• Risks & benefits

Other topics we recommend including:

• Information on clinical research (to foster trust and emphasize the importance)
• Educational content on the condition being studied (to put into context why the research is important)
• Informed consent/assent information (to help bridge the gap between considering participation and signing that lengthy legal form)
• Contact information (so prospective or active participants know who to get in touch with for questions or more information)

Always, our sites include a Frequently Asked Questions section to provide quick and simple answers to the most pressing questions.

3. A Variety of Media:

When looking at how we distribute the information discussed above, we want to use a variety of media types. We recommend specific media types based on the topic of discussion and the audience. For example, quick videos for teens, longer format video for at-home drug administration, infographics for study schedule & assessments. 

And always, we recommend including a mixture of media types on the website: videos (contact us to learn more about our custom and off-the-shelf/licensable video options), LOTS of images and graphics to support the copy, and downloadable resources to ensure participants always have access to the information they need while at home (we call this a Resource Center, and it lives as a standalone page on your website).

We also know that it doesn’t need to be all about education all the time. Especially for our pediatric trials, we like to inject some fun into the program. Blood draws and other tests/assessments can be very scary to a young child, and the stress that this puts on a parent or caregiver could be a reason they drop out altogether. For this, we’ve created our Jumo Health Shorts, a series of 1-minute videos featuring Roland & Robin, a bird and bear duo who have fun (and funny) adventures. Young kids are immediately engrossed, making a blood draw or injection an easier task for site staff and a less traumatic event for families. With no dialogue or onscreen text, these videos are available immediately in all markets.

For long study visits, we offer licensable games and digital coloring books to keep children and teens busy (see for yourself how easy it can be to become invested in this red blood cell’s quest to collect all the oxygen!)

4. Privacy and Security:

Websites should be compliant with applicable regulations and standards, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). We use best-in-class security and monitoring platforms to ensure that content is only viewable in the countries where it is approved, and that any sensitive information is pincode-protected.

5. Quick Build Time:

We know that study teams often need quick turnaround times, so our websites are templated and designed for expedited launch. Our partners can choose from 3 templates of varying design, layout, and functionality; we then customize that template to the needs of the study and our clients’ branding (or apply the custom branding we’ve created), and voila!

For study teams who have more time and want functionality for their websites beyond our templated solutions, we offer custom websites. Our Strategic Solutions & DevOps team will partner with you to gather all the necessary information to put together a project plan that meets your unique needs.

In conclusion, creating an effective website for a clinical trial requires a great design, the right mix of information and media, security & regulatory compliance, as well as speed to market. By following these key elements, you can ensure that your website is user-friendly and available in time to support awareness of the trial, improve participant recruitment, and enhance the transparency of the research being conducted.

Get in touch today to start building yours!

References:

1. CISCRP, 2021.