Journey to a Clinical Trial: A Day in the Life of a Consent Visit

For many patients, getting to a consent visit for a screening protocol isn’t as simple as one might think. Suppose you’ve ever wondered about the logistics behind participating in a clinical trial. In that case, you’re in for a wild ride unless you are fortunate enough to participate in one close to your home or at home. Below, we share a personal account of one individual’s journey to a hospital in Boston—a journey that, in the end, was about 4.25 hours long and included a lot of detours. Afterward, we offer an alternative view of what the experience can be like, which is quickly becoming an option for many and allowing access to research happen with fewer challenges for patients interested in trials.

The Day Before: The Plan

The night before the visit, the woman planned everything: leave on time, drive to Boston, park at the hospital’s designated garage, go in for the consent visit, and return home to her remote job. Simple enough, right? Well, that well-thought-out plan quickly unraveled when things didn’t go exactly as expected. 

The plan was to leave 1.5 hours before the appointment—more than enough time. Well, traffic and hospital detours had other ideas.

The Day Of: Operation “Get There”

The drive was as pleasant as juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle. Unexpected traffic when approaching the hospital added an extra 15 minutes to the estimated arrival time. But, with the buffer in the schedule, there was still hope that everything would fall into place—famous last words.

Upon arriving at the hospital’s recommended parking garage, the garage was full. So, what was supposed to be a quick park-and-go turned into a hunt for an alternative lot. After some frantic searching, the woman found a new garage. But the saga didn’t end there.

The Parking Garage Saga

Parking was only the beginning. Armed with the directions, the next step was navigating the unfamiliar hospital grounds to reach the appointment. The directions were detailed, yes—almost too thorough. They included a map, but when you’re standing in an unfamiliar area, it’s hard to figure out where you are in relation to the directions, especially from a different starting point. It’s like a treasure map that assumes you already know where the treasure is hidden.

Eventually, she reached the visit location 5 minutes late, which meant a 10-minute wait before being seen. It’s possible that waiting would be required regardless; however, there was no way of knowing since there was no one at the check-in to greet her. The visit itself lasted an hour—which was as expected. But once the visit ended, the real adventure began retrieving the $50 cash stipend.

The Maze That Is the Hospital

Getting to the cashier’s office was yet another exercise in patience. Hospitals have endless hallways, elevators, and stairs, leading to more confusing directions. At one point, it seemed like the directions given might as well have been in a foreign language. But, after asking for help, the $50 was successfully retrieved.

Then came the next hurdle: finding the correct parking garage. The directions provided were for the garage that had been full earlier in the day, so the real challenge was remembering where the correct garage was, especially when you’ve already walked through what feels like half the hospital.

The Parking Payment Predicament

Finally, when it was time to leave, the parking payment saga began. Payment had to be made inside the hospital, not at the garage. Of course, there were even more signs to follow. Eventually, she reached the payment desk, and the real kicker appeared: the parking receipt couldn’t be validated at the hospital because it was from a different garage. So, it had to be submitted separately for reimbursement. Oh, and don’t forget the mileage reimbursement, which requires an additional form and could take 4-6 weeks to process. Eventually, she made the payment and went to her car.

The Home Stretch

At last, after an hour-long drive home, the journey was almost over. The only thing left was sending a few emails about receipts and reimbursement. After all the time spent navigating traffic, parking, hospital corridors, and hospital bureaucracy, she was finally home.

When it was all said and done, the total time invested was 4.25 hours. And that doesn’t even count the half-day of PTO used to make the trip happen.

The Privilege Factor

It’s important to recognize the privileges that made this experience possible. Having a reliable vehicle, being able to afford gas, having a job that offers PTO and flexibility, and managing the financial costs of such a journey are all things that not everyone can access. Additionally, not having to juggle childcare or other major responsibilities while navigating the complexity of the trial makes the process infinitely more manageable.

It’s also worth noting that understanding the clinical trial process from the inside made it easier to navigate. The individual was no stranger to clinical research, having worked as a coordinator and having done hundreds of consent visits. However, this journey would have been much more overwhelming for someone without prior experience or knowledge of clinical trials.

And, after all of that, a nap was definitely in order.

A Better Way: What If It Could Be Easier?

Now, imagine if the patient could have participated in the clinical trial right at their primary care provider’s office instead of this hassle. A place they’re already familiar with—a place that’s close to home. The primary care office is often a patient’s healthcare hub, where they see their doctor regularly and where the staff knows them by name. It’s a space that feels comfortable and convenient, removing much of the anxiety and confusion that comes with navigating large, unfamiliar hospitals.

Having clinical trial opportunities integrated into a primary care setting makes participation more accessible, especially for those who may not have the resources, time, or ability to travel long distances. Patients could ask about the trial during their routine visits and, with a quick conversation, be enrolled right there in their local office: no confusing parking garages, no lengthy commutes, and no unfamiliar hospital corridors to navigate.

This setup would reduce the logistical burden and improve patient engagement. By offering clinical trials at places patients already trust, we would help them feel more comfortable, confident, and willing to participate in groundbreaking research without the added stress of a complicated journey. Plus, this could encourage more diverse patient populations to participate, including those who may have otherwise opted out due to transportation or logistical concerns.

A Look at the Bigger Picture

This example is just one person’s experience, but it speaks volumes about the challenges people face when participating in clinical trials. These trials are crucial for advancing medicine and providing better treatment options, yet they can be challenging to access due to logistical, financial, and informational barriers. For this individual, the journey was challenging but doable. However, many people don’t have the resources, time, or energy to make this happen.

While clinical trials play an essential role in healthcare, we must make the process easier for everyone. It shouldn’t be this hard to participate. From providing more straightforward directions to making reimbursement processes faster and more accessible, we need to do a lot of work to improve the experience.

But what if patients could access trials through their primary care providers? It’s a solution that could eliminate so many of the barriers that prevent people from taking part in potentially life-changing research. At the end of the day, clinical trials shouldn’t feel like a trek across a jungle. They should be accessible, efficient, and as straightforward as possible.