How to Reduce Patient Travel Burden in Clinical Trials by 82%

One of the most overlooked challenges in clinical research is the travel distance required of participants. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), over half of oncology trial participants travel an average of more than 50 miles one way for each visit. Most patients are only willing to travel 30 minutes (roughly 22 miles) to participate in a study, and we've witnessed patients traveling an average of 67 miles per visit. That's serious patient burden. 

This issue is more than an inconvenience. It directly impacts recruitment, retention, and data integrity. Sponsors that prioritize strategies to reduce patient travel burden in clinical trials gain measurable advantages in enrollment velocity, participant satisfaction, and overall trial success.

Why Travel Distance Matters More Than Convenience

Traditional site selection can often prioritize academic medical centers or large research hospitals. While these sites offer expertise, they are rarely located near where most patients reside. Long commutes introduce several challenges:

• Socioeconomic exclusion: Working families face lost wages, childcare costs, and transportation expenses.

• Rural underrepresentation: Remote and agricultural populations are often left out, skewing trial demographics.

• Caregiver fatigue: Supporters must manage complex schedules and logistics, adding stress.

• Cumulative burden: Repeated travel leads to fatigue, reduced adherence, and eventual dropout.

• Emergency complications: When adverse events occur, patients living hours away cannot access care quickly.

Every additional mile represents increased risk of dropout, slower enrollment, and less diverse data.

6 Proven Strategies to Reduce Patient Travel Burden in Clinical Trials

Forward-thinking sponsors are overcoming these barriers by building proximity-based solutions into their protocols. Here are six strategies that have been shown to reduce patient travel burden in clinical trials by as much as 82%, from an average of 67 miles to 12 miles of travel.

1. Distributed Assessment Networks

Instead of funneling patients into centralized hubs, sponsors can deploy multi-hub networks across target regions. Partnering with local hospitals and community clinics ensures participants have access to trial services within a short driving distance, which is often less than 15 miles. Standardized protocols across all hubs ensure consistent data quality.

2. Mobile Evaluation Units

Mobile vision clinics bring specialized equipment and certified staff directly into patient communities. These units eliminate transportation barriers by delivering full ophthalmic or medical assessments in neighborhoods, workplaces, or schools. Routing strategies can be tailored to cover urban, suburban, and rural areas equitably.

3. Telemedicine Integration

Virtual assessments can replace unnecessary in-person visits, significantly reducing the number of required trips. Combined with digital health monitoring tools, telemedicine creates hybrid models where only essential visits require travel, reducing the overall patient burden while preserving protocol integrity.

4. Community Outreach Programs

Partnering with local providers ensures assessments can be performed close to home while maintaining quality through training and oversight. Community engagement also enhances trust and inclusivity, particularly among underrepresented populations, by addressing their cultural and linguistic needs.

5. Transportation and Lodging Support

For visits that cannot be eliminated, sponsors can coordinate professional transportation or provide travel stipends. Offering lodging near sites for long-distance participants further reduces dropout risk and improves patient satisfaction.

6. Optimized Visit Scheduling

Smart scheduling consolidates multiple assessments into fewer visits, offering flexible appointment times that fit participants’ daily lives. Real-time scheduling systems also allow patients to select time slots that minimize disruptions to work and family responsibilities.

Why Successful Trials Need Accessibility Support

Every successful trial requires a geographical strategy that extends far beyond institutional relationships and traditional site selection criteria.

The Impact of Reducing Travel Burden

Implementing these strategies delivers measurable results. 20/20 Onsite has witnessed:

• 82% reduction in average travel distance: From 67 miles to just 12 miles.

• 95+ patient NPS score: Compared to the industry average NPS score of 30-50.

• 70% lower dropout rates: 9% in 20/20 Onsite-supported trials vs. 30% industry average.

Reducing patient travel burden in clinical trials is more than a logistical improvement. Reducing patient travel burden directly enhances trial performance, data quality, and inclusivity.

Why Accessibility Planning Protects Scientific Integrity

Travel challenges don’t just affect timelines. Travel challenges affect the science itself. When participants drop out or certain populations are underrepresented, data integrity suffers. Regulatory bodies expect diverse, representative populations, and accessibility is key to meeting these requirements.

At 20/20 Onsite, we specialize in integrating accessibility into the trial design. Our Mobile Vision Clinics, Pods, and Clinic Suites deliver ophthalmic assessments at the point of need, reducing patient burden while preserving rigorous endpoint protection.

Turning Distance Into an Advantage

Sponsors that fail to address travel challenges risk enrollment delays, budget overruns, and compromised data. Those who plan proactively gain an edge: faster recruitment, greater retention, and stronger outcomes.

At 20/20 Onsite, we help sponsors reduce patient travel burden in clinical trials through mobile, modular, and integrated solutions. By bringing high-quality ophthalmic assessments directly to participants, we transform distance into a competitive advantage.

Ready to reduce patient travel burden in your next trial?

👉 Request your travel reduction analysis and see how proximity strategies can accelerate your study.