CSSi

Combines patient recruitment with site identification and community outreach, with a stated emphasis on enrolling underrepresented populations — increasingly a regulatory expectation rather than a nice-to-have.

Scoped services, often blended site-identification plus recruitment programs.

Whatever the structure, convert it to cost per randomized patient before you compare proposals. Cost per referral is the number vendors prefer to quote and the number that tells you least.

• Community-level outreach capability
• Helps address diversity action plan commitments
• Site identification as well as patient supply

• Community outreach takes time to build; plan it before first patient in, not after

Worth it when: Programs with explicit diversity enrollment commitments.

Not worth it when: Studies where the diversity plan is already handled by another partner.

• Continuum ClinicalRecruitment and retention with strong site-engagement programs.
• Elligo Health ResearchBrings trials to community physician practices and their patient records.
• AcurianLarge-scale outreach using consumer data, part of a major CRO.

Ask for the referral-to-randomization ratio on three studies resembling yours, in the same indication and the same countries. If a vendor will not give it, that is the answer. If your enrollment forecast itself is the shaky part, our sister publication Rock Enroll covers forecasting and rescue in depth.