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Proving What’s Possible: Our Evidence-Based Impact in Clinical Study Awareness and Participation

Updated: Nov 5

Contact Us: info@diverseresearchnow.com or text 858-326-3477


Case Study: Building Awareness and Accelerating Enrollment for a Leading Biopharmaceutical Company’s Lupus Research Study


Overview 

In 2025, a leading global biopharmaceutical company (name withheld under NDA) launched a national initiative to accelerate enrollment for its lupus clinical trials. To strengthen outreach in underserved communities, the company partnered with several recruitment vendors — including Diverse Research Now (DRN), a nonprofit specializing in culturally tailored health & research education and advocacy. Through community events, digital outreach, and one-on-one support programs, DRN successfully built trust, generated awareness, and delivered measurable recruitment results — helping the sponsor reach enrollment goals ahead of schedule. 

Project Objective 

To accelerate enrollment for the sponsor’s lupus study by conducting a six-month outreach and education campaign focused on diverse and historically underserved populations, particularly Black and Hispanic communities across the U.S. The project was initially planned from June to December 2025 but concluded early in September 2025 after meeting its national enrollment target ahead of schedule. 

Our Approach: Education + Recruitment 


1. Multi-Channel Social Media Outreach 

For each event, we completed ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and engaged with everyone who responded, regardless of whether they actually attended the event or not. 

  • In parallel, we ran an ad leading to the DRN website, where we provided more information about the clinical trial with DRN-approved, community-friendly content (IRB approved). 

  • Prompt response to all inquiries and direct prescreener link sharing. 

  • Continuous performance tracking and audience optimization. 


2. Community Events (6 total) 

DRN organized a series of community events from July through September 2025, offered in multiple formats — virtual (Chit & Chat event), in-person (Chow & Chat event), and hybrid sessions that allowed both in-person and online participants to join simultaneously.


Event Reach: 

  • ~3,000 individuals engaged who either have lupus or have loved ones living with lupus, through event registrations or ads. 

  • 6 major events across California and nationwide virtual audiences. 

  • Virtual events proved most effective, driving the highest pre-screener completions. 

Highlights: 

  • Expert-led research education sharing with the community why participating in research studies is important to their everyday lives. 

  • Expert-led health education, for this project our expert was a Rheumatologist who specialized in lupus.  

  • A comprehensive question-and-answer session was held, encouraging attendees to engage openly by asking questions about their everyday experiences with lupus and research.

  • Transparent and thoughtful responses were provided to promote understanding and trust

  • Complimentary hot and healthy meals offered at in-person events.

  • Monetary raffle prizes (multiple gift cards raffled per event) at both in person and virtual events

  • Personal Safe Space video calls and Study Buddy follow-ups for those attendees wanting advocacy support with joining the highlighted lupus clinical trial. 


3. Podcast & Educational Media 

  • Podcast recorded with medical doctor, Rheumatologist, and lupus expert in August 2025.

  • Bilingual event descriptions posted online

  • Study flyers distributed at every event and link shared online. 


Recruitment Funnel (2 Months of Active Work – 6 Events Conducted During This Period)

Stage 

Metric (for 2 months of the project execution)

Conversion

Total Reach from events 

~3,000 engaged participants 

~

Pre-screeners Opened 

457 

15.2%

Pre-screeners Completed 

153 

33.5%

Transferred to Study Site to participate 

6 

4 % of completed pre-screener


Achieving a 4% enrollment rate from completed prescreeners should be considered an excellent result for a rare condition like lupus, especially given that the eligibility criteria for this particular study were exceptionally strict, making recruitment especially challenging. In this context, the 4% conversion represents a clear success.


DRN events reached 3,000+ cumulative attendees (live + virtual). DRN’s efforts demonstrated an efficient funnel with high engagement at every stage — from awareness to prescreener completion — and directly supported the sponsor’s early enrollment success. 

These two numbers describe our awareness-to-action funnel — meaning, how many people who heard about our campaign actually took action and clicked the prescreener link.

  • 3,000+ reached (people aware of our event)

  • 457 clicked and opened the prescreener

That’s 457 ÷ 3,000 = ~15.2% — which is a great engagement rate for community-based or health-awareness campaigns. The campaign was reaching a highly engaged DRN audience already motivated to respond to the content.


Comparative Insight: Value of Paid Promotion on Social Media

Below are metrics from a Lupus Study project that incorporated paid Meta ads which led to a prescreener questionnaire (a link to an actual ad):

Meta Ad Campaign (duration: two months in 2025):

  • Audience Reach: 9,600

  • Impressions: 18,096

  • Click-Through Rate (CTR): 4.9% (895 clicks)

  • Engagement: 51 shares, 38 comments, 12 saves

  • Video Metrics: Total Plays: 6,933

National Reach & Health Equity Impact 

DRN’s combined digital-first strategy and community trust model generated results nationwide. Participants engaging with DRN came from multiple U.S. states, demonstrating true national reach. 

Why DRN Made the Difference 

While multiple vendors supported the sponsor’s recruitment efforts, DRN provided what others could not — authentic, mission-driven engagement. As a nonprofit, DRN’s focus extended beyond recruitment:

  • Specifically designed education for patients and families impacted by lupus.

  • Culturally sensitive education designed to help community members understand research studies and how to take part in them.

  • Building trust through transparent and thoughtful “Question and Answers” sessions.  

  • Providing ongoing support via our signature Safe Space and Study Buddy programs. 

  • Giving back to the community by offering a hot meal and a chance for a monetary raffle prize. 

This patient-centered model complemented commercial vendor strategies and delivered sustainable awareness and long-term community trust. 


Key Takeaways 

  • Early Enrollment Success: Project concluded a few months ahead of schedule due to achieved targets.

  • High Funnel Efficiency: 33.5% completion rate among pre-screeners opened. 

  • Education-Driven Impact: 91% of surveyed participants reported learning something new about clinical research. 

  • National Reach: Participants connected from multiple U.S. states via hybrid and virtual events. 

  • Sustainable Awareness: DRN’s approach continues to influence community research knowledge beyond this study. 

Conclusion 

Through this collaboration, Diverse Research Now proved that community-based, culturally authentic engagement is not only effective but transformative in improving diversity and accelerating clinical trial enrollment. DRN’s hybrid model — blending education, digital tools, and personal connection — consistently turns awareness into action. By working hand-in-hand with multiple vendors, DRN created a measurable impact that exceeded expectations and strengthened national representation in lupus research.


DRN transforms recruitment into empowerment. 

Partner with us to make your next study more inclusive, trusted, and impactful. 



Phone : 858-326-3477

 
 
 

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