Study Hub FAQs

Study Hub

Frequently Asked Questions — the connected recruitment-to-EDC platform from OpenClinica

Study Hub Overview

What is Study Hub?

Study Hub is OpenClinica's (formerly BuildClinical) connected solution for academic and mid-market research teams. It brings recruitment, participant engagement, and clinical data capture together in one connected platform — replacing the patchwork of REDCap, Qualtrics, spreadsheets, and manual workflows most teams rely on today. 

What products does Study Hub include?

Study Hub combines two core components:

  • Recruitment — Data-driven ads, smart screening, and up-to-date tracking — to enroll the right participants, faster.
  • Foundation — end-to-end lead management, including engagement and automations for communication

  • OpenClinica EDC (via EDC Launch) — purpose-built clinical data capture for regulated research



Together, these tools cover the full study lifecycle — from first contact with a prospective participant through enrollment and data collection — without the handoffs and re-entry that come from stitching together separate systems.

Who is Study Hub designed for?

Study Hub is built for academic medical centers, research sites, CROs, and mid-market research teams who need a purpose-built, compliant, and easy-to-use platform for running clinical studies — without the overhead of enterprise EDC systems or the limitations of general-purpose tools like REDCap.

Why does Study Hub use separate logins for Foundation and the EDC?

This is intentional. Pre-enrollment recruitment data and clinical trial data operate in distinct compliance environments — they're governed by different regulatory requirements and access controls. Keeping them separate is a deliberate data governance decision, not a gap. The two systems are already connected where it matters most: eligible leads move directly from Foundation into your EDC study with no re-entry. Single sign-on — one login for both platforms — is on the roadmap for the next 6–12 months.

Foundation: Recruitment & Participant Engagement

What is Foundation?

Foundation is OpenClinica's end-to-end lead management platform. It's where your study's recruitment workflow lives — from receiving leads, screening, and status management, all the way to enrollment and handoff to the EDC.

Lead Management & Reporting

How does Foundation help my team manage leads?

Foundation gives your team a purpose-built pipeline for recruitment, including:

  • Custom lead statuses — define the stages a lead moves through to match your study's recruitment funnel
  • A configurable lead list — custom columns and quick filters by status, source, or date, with saved views
  • A visual progress indicator — on each lead's record showing exactly where they stand in your pipeline
  • Dashboards — showing recruitment funnel conversion rates and a breakdown of your lead sources, so your team can see where drop-off is happening and focus outreach accordingly

Can I import leads I already have?

Yes. You can import external leads directly into the lead list — map your file's columns to Foundation's fields, tag the source, and your leads are ready to manage immediately.

What information does Foundation collect from leads?

Every lead record captures the core intake details your team needs — first and last name, phone number, email address, gender, race/ethnicity, city, state, and date of birth — along with contact preferences captured on the standard screening form: preferred contact time, preferred contact method (phone, text, or email), and SMS consent opt-in or opt-out. Collecting these upfront keeps outreach compliant and respects each lead's preferences from the first touch.

Text, Voice & Email Communication

How does Foundation support text and voice outreach?

Foundation gives your team two-way texting and outgoing voice calling built in, all tied to the lead's record:

  • Two-way texting — send and receive texts with leads directly in Foundation, with a full conversation history in a unified Message Center — no personal phone required
  • Outgoing voice calls — place calls from your dedicated study number, add notes during the call, and log a summary afterward
  • Call forwarding — incoming calls to your study number route to your site's line or a coordinator, so you never miss a prospective participant

Every study gets its own dedicated, carrier-registered phone number — keeping staff personal numbers private while keeping every conversation logged and compliant.

How does Foundation keep text and voice compliant?

Compliance is built in. If a lead texts STOP, they're automatically opted out of future texts per carrier and regulatory requirements. And because phone carriers now require registered numbers for any organization sending texts or making calls, OpenClinica handles that registration on your behalf during onboarding — so your messages don't get blocked or flagged.

Can I send emails to leads and automate outreach?

Yes. Your team can send one-way emails directly from a lead's record, build reusable templates with the Email Template Builder, and use the Automation Builder to automatically trigger texts or emails based on screening answers or status changes — helping your team stay responsive without manual follow-up on every lead.

OpenClinica EDC: Clinical Data Capture

Ask for our OpenClinica EDC FAQ! 

Getting Started with Study Hub

How do I get started with Study Hub?

Getting started follows a structured handoff between your team and ours, with several steps running in parallel:

  • Study intake — after signing on, you'll receive an onboarding form to submit your protocol and study specifications, which kicks off your study build and ad creation
  • Phone number registration — OpenClinica registers your dedicated study number with carriers (approximately two weeks), in parallel with the rest of the onboarding
  • Study build — the OpenClinica team configures your OpenClinica EDC study based on your protocol, typically within one to two weeks of receiving it (you will be contacted by an OpenClinica team member during this time)
  • Recruitment material creation — At the same time, your targeted campaign ads are created, reviewed by both our team and yours, and we work with your team to receive their IRB approval
  • Access & training — once your study build is complete, your team receives login credentials to the EDC and Foundation, and training occurs directly in the products

How long does onboarding take?

Onboarding timelines vary based on study complexity and client type — a net-new client building materials from scratch will have a longer runway than an existing recruitment client adding EDC. Phone number registration typically takes about two weeks and runs in parallel with other setup steps. Your CSA will provide a timeline estimate specific to your study.

Can I import existing participants or lead data into Study Hub?

Yes. Foundation supports lead imports via file upload — map columns from your existing spreadsheet or CRM export to Foundation's fields, select the lead source, and your list is ready to manage. 

Who do I contact if I have questions or need help?

Study Hub clients are assigned an OpenClinica Customer Success Associate (CSA) who serves as your primary point of contact for both Foundation and OpenClinica EDC. You can reach your CSA directly through the Foundation platform, Monday–Friday, 9–5 ET. In addition to your designated CSA, your team will also be able to submit tickets directly to the OpenClinica Support team, with support provided 24/5.

Have additional questions? Contact your Customer Success Associate (CSA) or visit OpenClinica.com.

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