Handheld medical specialist ePocrates was recently asked by a contract research organization to assist with the recruitment of patients for a clinical trial by conducting an awareness campaign with physicians in the ePocrates network.

According to the company, ePocrates physicians received information about an enrolling clinical trial right on their Palm OS and Pocket PC handhelds, including qualification criteria, through the ePocrates network's DocAlert message system.

During the campaign period, there was a 144% increase in the number of monthly patient referrals to the clinical trial. Epocrates said the campaign delivered messages to key specialists who treated age and disease appropriate individuals in the areas around the trial sites.

According to a family practice physician contacted during the DocAlert campaign, "clinical research-oriented DocAlert messages are an innovative method of notifying physicians of clinical study recruitment efforts. Having the protocol details and eligibility criteria handy allows me to identify qualified patients at the point-of-care. I am able to provide the initial evaluation of the patient's eligibility and suitability for the trial, and likelihood of completing the trial."