Redefining Site Relationships in Clinical Trials Insights from WCG 2025 CenterWatch Global Site Relationship Survey

At the heart of every clinical trial lies a complex network of relationships between sponsors, contract research organisations (CROs), trial sites, investigators, coordinators and patients. The quality of these relationships has a direct impact on every stage of a study, from protocol design and recruitment to data integrity and final outcomes. Cultivating a strong partnership between sites, sponsors and CROs ultimately benefits all parties. Identifying areas where site satisfaction is low provides sponsors and CROs with the necessary knowledge to drive meaningful improvements.

How Partnership, Feedback and Innovation are Shaping the Future of Sponsor-CRO-Site Collaboration

WCG’s CenterWatch Global Site Relationship Survey has been evaluating site satisfaction since 1997. Conducted every two years, the survey provides sites an opportunity to rank specific sponsors and CROs on a series of trial processes, including protocol design, study support, training, diversity and technology. In 2025, survey improvements included refining survey attributes, expanding language options and enhancing mobile accessibility. As a result, the survey procured over 12,000 responses from a diverse, global audience. Given that sites could select more than one sponsor or CRO to rate, this translated to over 19,000 sponsor ratings and almost 10,000 CRO ratings.