February 23, 2026 | Participant engagement, Site staff, clinical trials, patient engagement, research
Cuttsy+Cuttsy’s upcoming report, ‘The site factor: Where protocol meets practice in clinical trials’, delves into the critical role of site staff in clinical research, offering insights into their daily challenges, opportunities, and the human connections that drive successful trial outcomes.

Cuttsy+Cuttsy today announced the upcoming release of their new report – The site factor: Where protocol meets practice in clinical trials. The report shines a light on the daily realities of clinical research, focusing on the site staff who make every trial possible. Building on insights from the 2025 report The participation equation, it explores the next layer of what it takes to deliver meaningful clinical trial experiences.
Based on research with site teams across eight countries, the report seeks to explore the everyday challenges and opportunities shaping clinical trial delivery, focusing on the crucial interactions between site staff and study participants, and the human connection that underpins successful study outcomes.
Building on this, the report looks closely at the realities of site roles, from interpreting protocols to supporting participant engagement. It highlights where site teams feel supported and where there are still gaps, and points to clear opportunities for the industry to better equip and empower these essential teams in ways that enhance and strengthen the participant experience.
‘We know that the relationship between a participant and their study team is a crucial factor in trial retention, but the site team perspective is not always fully reflected in how trials are designed and supported’, says Stacey Davidson, Head of Content and Strategy. ‘This report brings that perspective into focus, highlighting what site teams need to feel confident and equipped, and why that matters for the participant experience and ultimately, the success of clinical trials.’
The site factor is intended to be a practical resource for sponsors, CROs, and others involved in clinical trial management. It offers a clear snapshot of the day-to-day realities of site staff work and explores what meaningful support looks like in practice, reinforcing the work that site teams are already doing and helping improve how participants experience clinical trials.
Sign up to receive the full report when it’s released in March 2026.
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