AI and the Clinical Research Coordinator: Redefining Roles, Not Replacing Them

As artificial intelligence continues to make its way into clinical research, there’s a recurring fear: Will AI replace the clinical research coordinator (CRC)? It’s a valid concern—but it misses the bigger picture.

The truth is, AI isn’t here to replace people. It’s here to reimagine how people work—especially the CRCs who are the backbone of every successful study. Rather than automating them out of a job, AI is unlocking opportunities for coordinators to do more of what they do best: drive research forward with efficiency, insight, and human connection.

Here’s how that shift is playing out—and what it means for CRCs today.

The Traditional CRC Role: Too Much on Too Few Shoulders

Clinical research coordinators juggle a lot. From identifying eligible participants to maintaining documentation, managing visits, and ensuring compliance, CRCs are often spread thin across dozens of daily tasks.

Manual chart review remains one of the most time-consuming parts of the role. Sifting through EHRs, interpreting unstructured notes, and checking inclusion/exclusion criteria line by line can eat up hours—only to end with a short list of eligible patients (or none at all).

That time burden doesn’t just lead to burnout. It also delays enrollment, reduces site performance, and impacts the overall success of a trial.

What AI Can—and Can’t—Do

AI platforms like BEKhealth’s are designed to relieve some of this burden by automating labor-intensive tasks such as:

• Parsing structured and unstructured medical records

• Pre-screening patients for eligibility

• Generating lists of protocol-matched candidates within minutes

• Flagging inclusion/exclusion mismatches based on custom logic

But AI can’t replace the coordinator’s clinical intuition, empathy, or real-world judgment. It can’t build trust with a patient who’s unsure about joining a trial. It can’t adapt on the fly to scheduling conflicts, protocol amendments, or site-specific workflow hiccups.

And it certainly can’t replace the experience a CRC brings to navigating the nuances of trial execution.

From Administrative to Strategic: The Emerging Role of the AI-Enabled CRC

As AI lifts the weight of repetitive manual work, it opens space for CRCs to take on more strategic, high-impact responsibilities:

• Data interpretation: Understanding AI outputs, refining filters, and making informed enrollment decisions

• Workflow optimization: Collaborating with site leadership to streamline processes around new technology

• Patient engagement: Spending more time on education, communication, and retention—where human interaction matters most

We’re seeing a shift from doer to orchestrator. The AI-augmented CRC is empowered to guide recruitment strategies, not just execute them. That’s a major evolution—and one that can elevate site performance across the board.

Preparing CRCs for What’s Next

This transition isn’t just about technology. It’s about training, culture, and change management. Research teams that want to unlock the full potential of AI need to invest in their people—not just their platforms.

Here’s where to start:

• Give CRCs a seat at the table. Bring them into AI evaluation conversations early. Their insights into workflows and patient needs are invaluable.

• Offer hands-on training. A brief demo isn’t enough. Coordinators need to understand how AI works, what it can and can’t do, and how to validate its output.

• Position AI as a partner. Emphasize that automation is a support tool—not a surveillance system or a replacement for human expertise.

With the right tools and support, CRCs can become some of the most effective advocates for AI adoption within your organization.

Final Thought: It’s Not About Replacement. It’s About Reimagination.

The best CRCs aren’t afraid of AI—they’re curious about how it can help them do their jobs better. At BEKhealth, we’ve seen firsthand how empowered, tech-enabled coordinators can transform clinical operations. From identifying 10x more qualified patients to enrolling faster and with more precision, the impact isn’t hypothetical. It’s happening now.

AI doesn’t eliminate the need for human expertise—it elevates it. And in a world where speed, accuracy, and patient experience are more critical than ever, that’s exactly the kind of progress clinical research needs.