An Overview of Clinical Trial Matching Services

Clinical trials are pivotal to advancements in cancer treatment, but patient enrollment in these trials remains a challenge. Clinical trial matching services facilitate patient enrollment in clinical trials by identifying potential trials for interested patients and their proxies (e.g., caregivers and providers), and in some cases by providing other support services such as educational materials or personnel who can answer questions or assist patients. While all services involve providing a list of trials to those using them, the actual goals of the services vary significantly, from largely fostering patient interest in clinical trials by showing them the breadth of trials open for their cancer, to full matching and enrollment assistance using detailed assessment of eligibility criteria, patient clinical data, and patient preferences. This whitepaper describes the attributes of services ranging from simple to more advanced.