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Olague S, Boyle H, Ahmed I, Buchh B, Truong GST, Reyburn B, DeLeon C, Lin GC, Ahmad KA, Carr B, Singhal M, Althouse M, Castro R, Rudine A, Rider E, Macomber-Estill ML, Doles B, Ferry JF, Pierantoni H, Sutherland S, Clark RH, Blackwell CK, Smith PB, Benjamin DK, Greenberg RG. Direct-to-participant recruitment of mothers and infants: A strategic approach during challenging pandemic times. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2024; 38:101261. [PMID: 38298915 PMCID: PMC10825472 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2024.101261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Under traditional circumstances, most clinical trials rely on in-person operations to identify, recruit, and enroll study participants and to complete study-related visits. During unusual circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the typical clinical trial model is challenged and forced to explore alternative approaches to implementing study recruitment, participant enrollment, and data collection strategies. One such alternative is a direct-to-participant approach which leverages electronic resources and relevant technological devices (e.g., smart phones) available to researchers and patients. This approach functions under the assumption that a participant has access to a device that connects to the internet such as a smart phone, tablet, or computer. Researchers are then able to transition a typical paper-based, in-person model to an electronic-based, siteless, remote study. This article describes the challenges clinicians and researchers faced when implementing a direct-to-participant study approach during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lessons learned during this study of infant populations could help increase efficiency of future trials, specifically, by lessening the burden on participants and clinicians as well as streamlining the process for enrollment and data collection. While direct-to-adult participant recruitment is not a novel approach, our findings suggest that studies attempting to recruit the infant population may benefit from such a direct-to-participant approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefany Olague
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Helen Boyle
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Brent Reyburn
- North Central Baptist Hospital, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Barbara Carr
- Saint Luke's Health System, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Evelyn Rider
- Providence Alaska Medical Center, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Reese H. Clark
- The MEDNAX Center for Research, Education, Quality and Safety, Sunrise, FL, USA
| | | | - P. Brian Smith
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Laursen M, Hallgreen CE, Dreyer N, Bourke A, Mt‐Isa S, Blackburn S. Comparison of electronic self‐reported prescription medication use during pregnancy with the national prescription register in Denmark. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2019; 29:328-336. [DOI: 10.1002/pds.4937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maja Laursen
- The Danish Health Data Authority Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Christine E. Hallgreen
- School of Public HealthImperial College London London UK
- Copenhagen Center for Regulatory Science, Department of PharmacySUND, University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Nancy Dreyer
- IQVIA Real‐World and Analytic Solutions Boston Massachusetts
| | | | - Shahrul Mt‐Isa
- School of Public HealthImperial College London London UK
- Biostatistics and Research Decision SciencesMSD Research Laboratories London UK
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Abstract
BACKGROUND An estimated 80% of clinical trials fail to meet recruitment and enrollment goals. Recruitment can be even more challenging when vulnerable populations are the focus of the study. This problem may be mitigated with the use of contemporary and innovative methods such as Facebook recruitment. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this brief is to detail an account of diversifying recruitment strategies with the use of Facebook to recruit pregnant women into research. METHODS This brief was derived from a parent study that aimed to examine relationships among social determinants of health, psychophysiological stress, and mental health in pregnant women. A Facebook account was created in which the principal investigator (PI) sought permission and posted in private Facebook groups about the research study. All data reported and analyzed in this brief are frequencies of Facebook activity including, likes, shares, comments, referrals (i.e., tags), and participants enrolled. RESULTS Target enrollment for the parent study was met, with a total enrollment of 82 participants. The PI gained approval from 100% of the 61 private Facebook groups. Over 75% of the total sample was recruited in 48 days via Facebook. The greatest frequency of likes, shares, comments, and referrals by the recruitment flyer were generated from the sell/trade/jobs page. However, the greatest frequency of participants enrolled viewed the flyer in Facebook groups focused on parent discussion. Facebook groups classified as events, nonparent discussion, and miscellaneous were generally unsuccessful in yielding participants. DISCUSSION In order to decrease the time lag between research and practice, and to enroll more participants, innovative strategies are necessary. Although there is evidence that Facebook was useful in recruiting a sample of pregnant women into research, Facebook may also be a useful resource in recruiting other populations into research as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla Herbell
- Kayla Herbell, PhD, RN, is Legacy Fellow, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Case, Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
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Adam LM, Manca DP, Bell RC. Can Facebook Be Used for Research? Experiences Using Facebook to Recruit Pregnant Women for a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res 2016; 18:e250. [PMID: 27655184 PMCID: PMC5052464 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.6404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recruitment is often a difficult and costly part of any human research study. Social media and other emerging means of mass communication hold promise as means to complement traditional strategies used for recruiting participants because they can reach a large number of people in a short amount of time. With the ability to target a specified audience, paid Facebook advertisements have potential to reach future research participants of a specific demographic. This paper describes the experiences of a randomized controlled trial in Edmonton, Alberta, attempting to recruit healthy pregnant women between 8 and 20 weeks’ gestation for participation in a prenatal study. Various traditional recruitment approaches, in addition to paid Facebook advertisements were trialed. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of paid advertisements on Facebook as a platform for recruiting pregnant women to a randomized controlled trial in comparison with traditional recruitment approaches. Methods Recruitment using traditional approaches occurred for 7 months, whereas Facebook advertisements ran for a total of 26 days. Interested women were prompted to contact the study staff for a screening call to determine study eligibility. Costs associated with each recruitment approach were recorded and used to calculate the cost to recruit eligible participants. Performance of Facebook advertisements was monitored using Facebook Ads Manager. Results Of the 115 women included, 39.1% (n=45) of the women who contacted study staff heard about the study through Facebook, whereas 60.9% (n=70) of them heard about it through traditional recruitment approaches. During the 215 days (~7 months) that the traditional approaches were used, the average rate of interest was 0.3 (0.2) women/day, whereas the 26 days of Facebook advertisements resulted in an average rate of interest of 2.8 (1.7) women/day. Facebook advertisements cost Can $506.91 with a cost per eligible participant of Cad $20.28. In comparison, the traditional approaches cost Cad $1087, with approximately Cad $24.15 per eligible participant. Demographic characteristics of women were similar between the 2 recruitment methods except that women recruited using Facebook were significantly earlier in their pregnancy than those recruited using traditional approaches (P<.03). Conclusions Paid Facebook advertisements hold promise as a platform for reaching pregnant women. The relative ease of placing an advertisement, the comparable cost per participant recruited, and the dramatically improved recruitment rates in comparison with traditional approaches highlight the importance of combining novel and traditional recruitment approaches to recruit women for pregnancy-related studies. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02711644; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02711644 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6kKpagpMk)
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Adam
- Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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