In most clinical trials, the person a participant interacts with most frequently is not the physician investigator, it is the clinical research coordinator (CRC). Understanding the coordinator’s role helps participants know who to call, what to ask, and what to expect.
Who Is the Study Coordinator?
A clinical research coordinator is typically a nurse, physician assistant, or researcher with clinical experience who manages the day-to-day operations of clinical trials at a research site.
What Coordinators Do
Participant recruitment and screening, reviewing potential participants’ records, conducting pre-screening calls, scheduling screening visits, and confirming eligibility.
Informed consent, coordinators often conduct the initial consent discussion, walking potential participants through the study in detail.
Visit coordination, every study visit is planned and executed by the coordinator, ensuring the right tests are done in the right sequence within protocol time windows.
Data collection, coordinators enter all study data into electronic case report forms with precision. The quality of a site’s data directly reflects the coordinator’s work.
Adverse event monitoring, coordinators identify and escalate any safety signals, ensuring adverse events are reported as required.
Participant communication, coordinators are the participant’s primary point of contact between visits.
Why the Coordinator Matters for Your Experience
A skilled, empathetic coordinator makes the difference between a clinical trial experience that feels stressful and one that feels supported. At NuLine, our coordinators understand that participants are human beings, not data sources.
Your Rights
You have the right to contact your coordinator at any time with questions or concerns. You also have the right to speak directly with the physician investigator when a medical question arises.