Aging populations and specialized medicine are leading to increasing healthcare costs which are expected to rise in the next decades. The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) funds trials that address the efficiency of healthcare interventions in order to evaluate new and existing interventions. These studies have led to considerable cost savings and increased health outcomes. However, efficiency studies often face setbacks during the start-up and inclusion which limit the available research capacity and postpone the availability of novel findings. Here, we investigate the scope of these problems and identify common causes.

Records from efficiency research trials funded by ZonMw from 2014-2020 were combined with information provided by project leaders through a survey. The combined dataset was explored through statistical analysis. Next, a subset of 30 selected projects was evaluated qualitatively to gain a better understanding of the possible underlying reasons for the experienced problems.

The response rate among project leaders was 73 percent (146/201). Data indicate that 61 percent of projects started as planned and 35 percent included the first patient as scheduled. The complexity of setting up a multicenter study and legal procedures like local ethical approval were associated with delays in starting inclusions. In addition, 56 percent of studies had to extend the inclusion period by more than 6 months. Possible reasons that were identified include the limited numbers of patients available, and treatment preferences of the doctor, the patient, or the participating center.

Our results indicate that the majority of trials face setbacks and the main reasons include time to procure legal and ethical approval, limited patient numbers, as well as unforeseen treatment preferences. More streamlined procedures regarding approvals could speed up trial initiation, and better knowledge of eligible patients and treatment preferences could lead to more realistic planning. The results and conclusions from this study can be applied by ZonMw and other relevant stakeholders to resolve the identified problems in order to accelerate healthcare efficiency research.