Why do some schizophrenia trial sites succeed… while others don’t?
- May 11
- 1 min read
In one of our multi-country psychiatry studies across Hungary, Serbia, and Croatia, the starting point looked strong:
5 activated sites per country
High initial interest
Promising recruitment expectations
But reality told a different story. Only 3 sites per country actually enrolled patients Only 1 site per country reached the target.
So what happened? The gap wasn’t about patients.It wasn’t about motivation. It was about alignment between protocol design and real-world practice.
What we observed
1. Inclusion criteria were not fully internalized.
On paper, everything looked clear.In practice, subtle eligibility nuances led to:
Missed screening opportunities
Higher screen failure rates
Slower enrollment
2. A gap between protocol design and daily clinical reality.
Certain assumptions made at protocol level did not fully reflect:
How patients are diagnosed and followed at site level
How treatment decisions are made in real life
How quickly eligible patients can actually be identified
This created friction during implementation — even at experienced sites.
3. Patient retention was underestimated.
In schizophrenia trials, retention is not just a patient issue — it’s a caregiver-driven dynamic.
Visit adherence
Long-term engagement
Social support
All of these became limiting factors.
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