Randomised controlled trials are essential for testing the effectiveness of health treatments.

Almost half of them fail to recruit enough participants, and many participants drop out once enrolled.

This results in:
Significant research waste.
Delays providing effective treatments.
And harmful treatments continue to be used.
Recruiting and retaining more participants will improve health outcomes and save lives.

However there is not enough evidence about the most effective and cost-effective strategies to recruit and retain participants.

One solution is to use a ‘Study Within A Trial’ called a SWAT.

SWATs can be done in a single host trial or coordinated across several host trials simultaneously. They can produce high-quality evidence at speed.

Unfortunately, not many SWATs are carried out.

That's where the Implement SWATs project comes in.

Over the next ten years, we will use coordinated SWATs to develop evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of recruitment and retention strategies.

We will then use implementation science to support trial teams to use this evidence quickly and effectively.

Implement SWATs comprises five linked work-packages.

Work-package 1 will identify and prioritise promising recruitment and retention strategies.
Work-package 2 will test high-priority strategies using coordinated SWATs.
Work-package 3 will develop guidelines for evidence-based and cost-effective trial recruitment and retention.
Work-package 4 will develop and apply a strategy for implementing the guidelines.
Finally, work-package 5 will evaluate the strategy for implementing the guidelines.

By identifying and implementing effective recruitment and retention strategies, more people can participate in trials, speeding up health innovation and reducing research waste.

Work with us to improve health outcomes for everyone.