title: Marketing and clinical trials: a case study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Publicly funded clinical trials require a substantial commitment of time and money. To ensure that sufficient numbers of patients are recruited it is essential that they address important questions in a rigorous manner and are managed well, adopting effective marketing strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using methods of analysis drawn from management studies, this paper presents a structured assessment framework or reference model, derived from a case analysis of the MRC's CRASH trial, of 12 factors that may affect the success of the marketing and sales activities associated with clinical trials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The case study demonstrates that trials need various categories of people to buy in - hence, to be successful, trialists must embrace marketing strategies to some extent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The performance of future clinical trials could be enhanced if trialists routinely considered these factors.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research and Innovation Management, Brighton, UK. dlf@brighton.ac.uk
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Diana R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Elbourne
authors.forename: Haleema
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shakur
authors.forename: Rosemary C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Snowdon
authors.forename: Vikki A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Entwistle
authors.forename: Alison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Adrian M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Marion K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Campbell