Rethinking patient recruitment: A conversation with Labcorp and Circuit Clinical

Clinical trials are evolving rapidly, driven by decentralized models, data-driven insights and a growing emphasis on patient-centricity. Yet one challenge remains persistent: patient recruitment. 

Traditional approaches to recruitment often fall short, leading to delays that ripple across sponsors, sites and patients. To overcome this, industry leaders are thinking differently about how to connect the right patients with the right trials at the right time.

We sat down with Mark Slette, vice president of global operations & strategic transformation at Labcorp, and Dr. Irfan Khan, CEO of Circuit Clinical, to discuss why recruitment is so difficult, and how their expanded collaboration is introducing a novel solution.
 

Q: Why does patient recruitment remain the biggest hurdle in clinical trials?

Mark: Recruitment is where timelines most often slip. Even well-designed protocols can stall if we’re not efficiently finding and engaging the right patients at the right time. The downstream impact is significant with delays for sponsors trying to deliver innovative therapies, added burden for investigator sites and lost opportunities for patients seeking alternatives. Our focus is to create a more efficient clinical trial ecosystem that connects sponsors, sites and patients in smarter ways so that enrollment becomes faster and less fragmented.
 

Q: What’s unique about the Labcorp–Circuit Clinical approach?

Irfan: Circuit Clinical brings a proven model for prescreening and patient engagement, including MD Prescreen. By partnering with Labcorp, we can extend that reach nationally and guide patients through a HIPAA-compliant process with clearer information and support. The novelty is scale plus precision: earlier, smarter identification and a human-centered engagement pathway that meets patients where they already receive care.

Mark: We’re integrating Labcorp’s data-driven patient insights—derived from 45 billion diagnostic tests and around 175 million annual patient encounters—with Circuit Clinical’s prescreening and engagement model. That combination enables proactive identification of high-fit patients much earlier in the study timeline and supports outreach beyond existing site networks. We’re operationalizing this through Labcorp Global Trial Connect™, linking sponsors, sites and patients using data and technology to accelerate recruitment.
 

Q: How does this help investigator sites day to day?

Irfan: Sites get reduced administrative burden because fewer low-fit referrals reach their teams. Our prescreening narrows to patients who are more likely to meet inclusion/exclusion criteria, and the engagement workflow educates patients before they arrive. That saves coordinators time, improves screen-fail rates and keeps study operations moving.
 

Q: Beyond “faster enrollment,” what’s the impact for sponsors?

Mark: Operational efficiency is the key. When early identification and prescreening are robust, screen failures drop, timelines compress and portfolios move with fewer surprises. That accelerates development and potentially time to market for new therapies. It’s not just speed—it’s quality of funnel and reliability of planning.
 

Q: How do patients benefit from this solution?

Irfan: Patients get easier access to relevant trials and a guided, informed experience throughout the process. We aim to reduce the confusion and effort required to find a trial, and we communicate in a trusted context. That lowers barriers and helps patients make confident decisions about participating.
 

Q: What’s next for the collaboration?

Mark: We’re continuing to evolve the platform and workflows through Labcorp Global Trial Connect, expanding how data and technology knit together stakeholders. The goal is a repeatable, scalable model that accelerates recruitment across therapeutic areas and geographies.