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Checklist

Use one written checklist for the listing, first call, screening visit, consent review, payment terms, and follow-up obligations.

Before calling

  • Study title and NCT number recorded.
  • Recruitment status checked.
  • Site city and address noted.
  • Condition, age range, and major eligibility rules reviewed.
  • Compensation language copied exactly.
  • Visit count and follow-up length noted if listed.
  • Questions written down before sharing medical history.

During the first call

  • Confirm the caller’s name, role, organization, and site relationship.
  • Confirm site location and whether all visits occur there.
  • Ask whether screening is paid.
  • Ask for common screen-out reasons.
  • Ask about fasting, medication holds, diaries, and travel reimbursement.
  • Ask when payment is issued and what happens after missed visits.
  • Ask how records are handled securely.

Before screening

  • Bring current medication names and doses.
  • Bring dates for recent procedures, vaccines, infections, and other research participation.
  • Follow fasting or restriction instructions only after they are clear.
  • Know whether parking, mileage, or meals are reimbursed.
  • Know whether abnormal results will be shared with you.

Before signing consent

  • Read the schedule of events, not only the summary.
  • Confirm every in-person and remote visit.
  • Confirm procedures, restrictions, and diary duties.
  • Confirm payment timing, partial payment, reimbursement, and completion bonus rules.
  • Record after-hours contact instructions for medication, device, or symptom questions.

After each visit

Write down the date, arrival time, checkout time, procedures completed, payment expected, reimbursement submitted, and next visit date. Keep receipts and copies of payment-card records. If a diary, app, or device is required, confirm the next due time before leaving the site.

Use the checklist during the call

Do not wait until after the call to organize the information. Fill in each item as the coordinator talks. If an answer is unclear, mark it as unknown and ask again before scheduling. The most useful checklist is the one that shows gaps before they cost you time.

Keep one file per study

Use a folder, notebook page, or document for each study. Keep the listing, call notes, consent form, schedule, payment details, reimbursement receipts, and follow-up instructions together. When a site calls back weeks later, you will know exactly what was promised and what still needs confirmation.

What to keep in your notes

RECORD

Keep one note for each study you contact. Include the study title, NCT number, location, contact name, phone number, email address, date of the call, and the page where you found the listing. Add the payment schedule exactly as described, including whether screening is paid and whether payment is per visit, at the end of the study, or placed on a card.

Record visit windows, fasting requirements, parking instructions, reimbursement rules, and after-hours contact information. If the site asks for records, write down the exact document requested and the transfer method. Do not rely on memory when you are comparing two similar opportunities.