Patient Recruitment Challenges in Academic Clinical Research: Perceptions and Experiences of Healthcare Professionals in a Teaching Hospital

BACKGROUND: Academic clinical studies often struggle most with recruiting patients, and poor recruitment can delay projects and weaken the quality of study findings. Because recruitment in teaching hospitals is usually led by residents, faculty, and nurses, understanding what they experience on the ground is essential to improve enrolment in academic settings. This study explores the practical factors that facilitate or hinder patient enrolment as perceived by healthcare providers working in a tertiary care teaching hospital. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study among 120 healthcare professionals (40 residents, 40 faculty, and 40 nurses) in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Participants provided anonymous responses using a validated 10-item Likert scale instrument covering demographics and perceived recruitment barriers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, along with Chi-squared tests and ANOVA to compare differences across groups. Open-ended responses were analyzed using thematic coding. RESULTS: The most commonly reported barriers were time constraints (99, 82.5%), difficulty explaining trials to patients (86, 71.6%), restrictive eligibility criteria (76, 63.3%), and administrative workload (43, 58.3%). Residents reported greater difficulty related to limited time during clinical duties, while faculty more often highlighted the burden of administrative tasks. Prior research training was associated with better confidence in explaining studies (p = 0.014) and greater motivation to actively identify eligible participants (p = 0.028). Thematic analysis grouped barriers into three broad domains: operational constraints, communication challenges, and limited institutional support. Participants suggested practical solutions, including appointing research coordinators, providing multilingual consent forms, and implementing structured training programs for research teams. CONCLUSION: Recruitment barriers in academic clinical research are largely driven by operational pressures and communication gaps, compounded by limited organizational support. Strengthening institutional systems-particularly through dedicated support staff and structured training-may improve recruitment efficiency. Building research competencies among residents, nurses, and faculty could promote more ethical, timely, and effective patient enrolment in academic clinical studies.