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Suarez ML, Schlaeger JM, Angulo V, Shuey DA, Carrasco J, Roach KL, Ezenwa MO, Yao Y, Wang ZJ, Molokie RE, Wilkie DJ. Keys to Recruiting and Retaining Seriously Ill African Americans With Sickle Cell Disease in Longitudinal Studies: Respectful Engagement and Persistence. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2019; 37:123-128. [PMID: 31394904 PMCID: PMC6933076 DOI: 10.1177/1049909119868657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a serious illness with disabling acute and chronic pain that needs better therapies, but insufficient patient participation in research is a major impediment to advancing SCD pain management. The purpose of this article is to discuss the challenges of conducting an SCD study and approaches to successfully overcoming those challenges. DESIGN In a repeated-measures, longitudinal study designed to characterize SCD pain phenotypes, we recruited 311 adults of African ancestry. Adults with SCD completed 4 study visits 6 months apart, and age- and gender-matched healthy controls completed 1 visit. RESULTS We recruited and completed measures on 186 patients with SCD and 125 healthy controls. We retained 151 patients with SCD with data at 4 time points over 18 months and 125 healthy controls (1 time point) but encountered many challenges in recruitment and study visit completion. Enrollment delays often arose from patients' difficulty in taking time from their complicated lives and frequent pain episodes. Once scheduled, participants with SCD cancelled 49% of visits often because of pain; controls canceled 30% of their scheduled visits. To facilitate recruitment and retention, we implemented a number of strategies that were invaluable in our success. CONCLUSION Patients' struggles with illness, chronic pain, and their life situations resulted in many challenges to recruitment and completion of study visits. Important to overcoming challenges was gaining the trust of patients with SCD and a participant-centered approach. Early identification of potential problems allowed strategies to be instituted proactively, leading to success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie L Suarez
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Judith M Schlaeger
- Department of Women, Children & Family Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Veronica Angulo
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - David A Shuey
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Jesus Carrasco
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Keesha L Roach
- Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Miriam O Ezenwa
- Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Yingwei Yao
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Zaijie Jim Wang
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Robert E Molokie
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Diana J Wilkie
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
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