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Wong KHTW, Lau WCY, Man KKC, Bilbow A, Ip P, Wei L. Effectiveness of Facebook Groups and Pages on Participant Recruitment Into a Randomized Controlled Trial During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Descriptive Study. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e46190. [PMID: 37847536 PMCID: PMC10618879 DOI: 10.2196/46190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In response to the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, conventional recruitment approaches were halted, causing the suspension of numerous clinical trials. Previously, Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc) has emerged as a promising tool for augmenting participant recruitment. While previous research has explored the use of Facebook for surveys and qualitative studies, its potential for recruiting participants into randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remains underexplored. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to comprehensively examine the effectiveness of using Facebook groups and pages to facilitate participant recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic for an RCT on the effectiveness of a remote parenting program, 1-2-3 Magic, in families who have children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United Kingdom. METHODS We disseminated 5 Facebook posts with an attached digital flyer across 4 prominent ADHD UK support groups and pages run by the National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Services, reaching an audience of around 16,000 individuals over 2 months (January 7 to March 4, 2022). Eligibility criteria mandated participants to be parents or caregivers of a child with diagnosed ADHD aged 12 years or younger, be residing in the United Kingdom, have access to stable internet, and have a device with the Zoom (Zoom Video Communications) app. Participants were required to have never attended 1-2-3 Magic training previously. Prospective participants expressed their interest through Microsoft Forms (Microsoft Corporation). The trial aimed to recruit 84 parents. It is important to note that the term "parent" or "caregiver" in the RCT and in this study within a trial refers to anybody who has legal responsibility for the child. RESULTS Overall, 478 individuals registered their interest through Microsoft Forms within the stipulated 2-month window. After the eligibility check, 135 participants were contacted for a baseline meeting through Zoom. The first 84 participants who attended a baseline meeting and returned a completed consent form were enrolled. Subsequently, another 16 participants were added, resulting in a final sample of 100 participants. This recruitment strategy incurred negligible expenses and demanded minimal human resources. The approach yielded favorable outcomes by efficiently attracting eligible participants in a condensed time frame, transcending geographical barriers throughout the United Kingdom, which would have been tedious to achieve through traditional recruitment methods. CONCLUSIONS Our experience demonstrated that digital flyers posted in the targeted Facebook groups were a cost-effective and quick method for recruiting for an RCT, which opened during the COVID-19 pandemic when lockdown restrictions were in place in the United Kingdom. Trialists should consider this low-cost recruitment intervention for trials going forward, and in the case of a global pandemic, this novel recruitment method enabled the trial to continue where many have failed. TRIAL REGISTRATION International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 15281572; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN15281572.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstie H T W Wong
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
| | - Wallis C Y Lau
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
- Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
| | - Kenneth K C Man
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
- Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
| | - Andrea Bilbow
- National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Services, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Ip
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
| | - Li Wei
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Aily JB, Copson J, Voinier D, Jakiela J, Hinman R, Grosch M, Noonan C, Armellini M, Schmitt L, White M, White DK. From Clicks to Consent: a Descriptive Study of Recruitment Yield from Social Media Advertisements and Associated Costs of a Telehealth Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint). J Med Internet Res 2022; 25:e41358. [PMID: 37200067 DOI: 10.2196/41358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recruiting study participants for clinical research is a challenging yet essential task. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, offer the opportunity to recruit participants through paid advertisements. These ad campaigns may be a cost-effective approach to reaching and recruiting participants who meet specific study criteria. However, little is known about the extent to which clicks on social media advertisements translate to the actual consent and enrollment of participants who meet the study criteria. Understanding this is especially important for clinical trials conducted remotely, such as telehealth-based studies, which open the possibility to recruit over large geographical areas and are becoming more common for the treatment of chronic health conditions, such as osteoarthritis (OA). OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to report on the conversion of clicks on a Facebook advertisement campaign to consent to enrollment in an ongoing telehealth physical therapy study for adults with knee OA, and the costs associated with recruitment. METHODS This was a secondary analysis using data collected over the first 5 months of an ongoing study of adults with knee OA. The Delaware Physical Exercise and Activity for Knee Osteoarthritis program compares a virtually delivered exercise program to a control group receiving web-based resources among adults with knee OA. Advertisement campaigns were configured on Facebook to reach an audience who could be potentially eligible. Clicking on the advertisement directed potential participants to a web-based screening form to answer 6 brief questions related to the study criteria. Next, a research team member called individuals who met the criteria from the screening form and verbally asked additional questions related to the study criteria. Once considered eligible, an electronic informed consent form (ICF) was sent. We described the number of potential study participants who made it through each of these steps and then calculated the cost per participant who signed the ICF. RESULTS In sum, between July and November 2021, a total of 33,319 unique users saw at least one advertisement, 9879 clicks were made, 423 web-based screening forms were completed, 132 participants were successfully contacted, 70 were considered eligible, and 32 signed the ICF. Recruitment costed an average of US $51.94 per participant. CONCLUSIONS While there was a low conversion from clicks to actual consent, 32% (32/100) of the total sample required for the study were expeditiously consented over 5 months with a per-subject cost well below traditional means of recruitment, which ranges from US $90 to US $1000 per participant. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrails.gov NCT04980300; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04980300.
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Kennedy N, Nelson S, Jerome RN, Edwards TL, Stroud M, Wilkins CH, Harris PA. Recruitment and retention for chronic pain clinical trials: a narrative review. Pain Rep 2022; 7:e1007. [PMID: 38304397 PMCID: PMC10833632 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000001007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid misuse is at a crisis level. In response to this epidemic, the National Institutes of Health has funded $945 million in research through the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Pain Management Initiative, including funding to the Vanderbilt Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC) to strategize methods to catalyze participant recruitment. The RIC, recognizing the challenges presented to clinical researchers in recruiting individuals experiencing pain, conducted a review of evidence in the literature on successful participant recruitment methods for chronic pain trials, in preparation for supporting the HEAL Pain trials. Study design as it affects recruitment was reviewed, with issues such as sufficient sample size, impact of placebo, pain symptom instability, and cohort characterization being identified as problems. Potential solutions found in the literature include targeted electronic health record phenotyping, use of alternative study designs, and greater clinician education and involvement. For retention, the literature reports successful strategies that include maintaining a supportive staff, allowing virtual study visits, and providing treatment flexibility within the trial. Community input on study design to identify potential obstacles to recruitment and retention was found to help investigators avoid pitfalls and enhance trust, especially when recruiting underrepresented minority populations. Our report concludes with a description of generalizable resources the RIC has developed or adapted to enhance recruitment and retention in the HEAL Pain studies. These resources include, among others, a Recruitment and Retention Plan Template, a Competing Trials Tool, and MyCap, a mobile research application that interfaces with Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Kennedy
- Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sarah Nelson
- Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rebecca N. Jerome
- Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Terri L. Edwards
- Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mary Stroud
- Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Consuelo H. Wilkins
- Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA
- Office of Health Equity, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Paul A. Harris
- Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Sato K, Niimi Y, Ihara R, Suzuki K, Toda T, Iwata A, Iwatsubo T. Efficacy and Cost-effectiveness of Promotion Methods to Recruit Participants to an Online Screening Registry for Alzheimer Disease Prevention Trials: Observational Study. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e26284. [PMID: 34292159 PMCID: PMC8367100 DOI: 10.2196/26284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Web-based screening may be suitable for identifying individuals with presymptomatic latent diseases for recruitment to clinical studies, as such people do not often visit hospitals in the presymptomatic stage. The promotion of such online screening studies is critical to their success, although it remains uncertain how the effectiveness of such promotion can differ, depending on the different promotion methods, domains of interest, or countries of implementation. Objective The Japanese Trial-Ready Cohort (J-TRC) web study is our ongoing online screening registry to identify individuals with presymptomatic Alzheimer disease (AD), aimed at facilitating the clinical trials for AD prevention. Within the first 9 months of its 2019 launch, the J-TRC web study recruited thousands of online participants via multiple methods of promotion, including press releases, newspaper advertisements, web advertisements, or direct email invitations. Here, we aimed to quantitatively evaluate efficacy and cost-effectiveness of each of these multimodal promotion methods. Methods We applied the vector-autoregression model to assess the degree of contribution of each type of promotion to the following target metrics: number of daily visitors to the J-TRC website, number of daily registrants to the J-TRC web study, daily rate of registration among visitors, daily rate of eligible participants among registrants, and median age of daily registrants. The average cost-effectiveness for each promotion method was also calculated using the total cost and the coefficients in the vector-autoregression model. Results During the first 9 months of the reviewed period from October 31, 2019 to June 17, 2020, there were 48,334 website visitors and 4429 registrations (9.16% of 48,334 visitors), of which 3081 (69.56%) were eligible registrations. Initial press release reports and newspaper advertisements had a marked effect on increasing the number of daily visitors and daily registrants. Web advertisements significantly contributed to the increase in daily visitors (P<.001) but not to the daily registrants, and it also lowered the rate of registrations and the median age of daily registrants. Website visitors from the direct email invitation sent to other cognitive registries seem to have registered with the highest reliability. The calculated average cost-effectiveness for the initial press release was US $24.60 per visitor and US $96.10 per registrant, while the calculated average cost-effectiveness for the newspaper advertisements was US $28.60 per visitor and US $227.90 per registrant. Conclusions Our multivariate time-series analysis showed that each promotion method had different features in their effect of recruiting participants to the J-TRC web study. Under the advertisement condition settings thus far, newspaper advertisements and initial press releases were the most effective promotion methods, with fair cost-effectiveness that was equivalent to earlier online studies. These results can provide important suggestions for future promotions for the recruitment of presymptomatic participants to AD clinical trials in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichiro Sato
- Department of Neurology, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Niimi
- Unit for Early and Exploratory Clinical Development, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryoko Ihara
- Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazushi Suzuki
- Division of Neurology, Internal Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Tatsushi Toda
- Department of Neurology, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iwata
- Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Iwatsubo
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Amin MD, Bundogji NK, Zamora SM, Magit AE. A survey of adult preferences regarding recruitment for pediatric research. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2020; 135:110108. [PMID: 32480138 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although subject recruitment is one of the most critical aspects of human subject research, there is a lack of studies prospectively examining the recruitment preferences of adults for research involving children. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of adults accompanying patients at an otolaryngology clinic in a pediatric medical center. Anonymous questionnaires were distributed in English and Spanish to one adult for every patient. Questions assessed the respondent's preferences for research recruitment including contact method preferences, contact preferences for medical profession type, and whether they would expect a child to receive a small gift for participating in a research study. Fisher's exact tests were used to assess the association between the primary predictor, language, and each outcome. RESULTS 566 surveys were collected. 505 (89.1%) were completed in English and 61 (10.7%) were completed in Spanish. Spanish-speaking respondents were more likely to prefer talking to a doctor (76.7%) than English-speaking respondents (40.1%, p < 0.05). Spanish-speaking respondents were more likely to prefer talking over the phone (48.3%) than English-speaking respondents (17.3%, p < 0.05). Spanish-speaking respondents were more likely to prefer communicating via text messaging (41.7%) than English-speaking respondents (16.3%, p < 0.05). English-speaking respondents were more likely to prefer communicating through the patient portal of an electronic health record (EHR) (19%) than Spanish-speaking respondents(3.3%, p < 0.05). Mothers were more likely to prefer talking to a nurse/physician's assistant (20%) than fathers (10%, p < 0.05). Mothers were more likely to prefer talking to research staff (20%) than fathers (9%, p < 0.05). Mothers were more likely to prefer communication via text-message (22%) than fathers (6%, p < 0.05). Spanish-speaking respondents were more likely to prefer pediatric patients receiving a small monetary gift for participating in clinical research (70%) than English-speaking respondents (30%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION There was a significant association between preference for recruitment method and primary language spoken by the respondent. Further inquiry is required to understand these differences between English and Spanish speakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan D Amin
- UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Nour K Bundogji
- Pediatric Otolaryngology, Rady Children's San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Steven M Zamora
- Pediatric Otolaryngology, Rady Children's San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Anthony E Magit
- UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA; Pediatric Otolaryngology, Rady Children's San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Surgery, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Abstract
Obese men are at an increased risk of chronic disease and are far less likely than women to attempt weight loss. There is a need to successfully recruit men to weight loss clinical trials. Overweight and obese men were recruited to a 6-month, randomized, controlled weight loss trial. Initial recruitment efforts were aimed at men in the workplace with less than or equal to 2 years of college education. After unsatisfactory interest from men and businesses alike, recruitment strategy shifted to enroll men outside the workplace with any educational background. Recruitment methods included word of mouth, email and website advertisements, printed posters in local businesses and doctors’ offices, Facebook ads, and a 1-week newspaper ad campaign. Initial interest and enrollment was negligible with only 35 men enrolled in the first 7 months. The launch of a 1-week newspaper advertisement was the most useful recruitment technique and 102 overweight/obese men were successfully enrolled. Study retention remained high throughout the Gutbusters program, indicating targeted, effective recruitment, and not weight loss interest, may be the largest barrier to trial participation for overweight and obese men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean Harvey
- 1 The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
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Ruban A, Prechtl CG, Glaysher MA, Chhina N, Al-Najim W, Miras AD, Smith C, P Goldstone A, Patel M, Moore M, Ashrafian H, Byrne JP, Teare JP. Effectiveness of different recruitment strategies in an RCT of a surgical device: experience from the Endobarrier trial. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e032439. [PMID: 31727662 PMCID: PMC6886935 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recruiting participants into clinical trials is notoriously difficult and poses the greatest challenge when planning any investigative study. Poor recruitment may not only have financial ramifications owing to increased time and resources being spent but could adversely influence the clinical impact of a study if it becomes underpowered. Herein, we present our own experience of recruiting into a nationally funded, multicentre, randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the Endobarrier versus standard medical therapy in obese patients with type 2diabetes. Despite these both being highly prevalent conditions, there were considerable barriers to the effectiveness of different recruitment strategies across each study site. Although recruitment from primary care proved extremely successful at one study site, this largely failed at another site prompting the implementation of multimodal recruitment strategies including a successful media campaign to ensure sufficient participants were enrolled and the study was adequately powered. From this experience, we propose where appropriate the early engagement and investment in media campaigns to enhance recruitment into clinical trials. Trial Registration: ISRCTN30845205.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aruchuna Ruban
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Michael Alan Glaysher
- Division of Surgery, Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Navpreet Chhina
- PsychoNeuroEndocrinology Research Group, Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry and Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Alexander Dimitri Miras
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Medicine, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Claire Smith
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony P Goldstone
- PsychoNeuroEndocrinology Research Group, Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry and Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mayank Patel
- Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Michael Moore
- Primary Care Medical Group, University of Southampton Medical School, Southampton, UK
| | - Hutan Ashrafian
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - James P Byrne
- Division of Surgery, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Julian P Teare
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Lai YS, Afseth JD. A review of the impact of utilising electronic medical records for clinical research recruitment. Clin Trials 2019; 16:194-203. [PMID: 30764659 DOI: 10.1177/1740774519829709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recruitment is an important aspect of clinical research, as poor recruitment could undermine the scientific value of a trial or delay the development process of new treatments. The development of electronic medical records provides a new way to identify potential participants for trials by matching the eligibility criteria with patients' data within electronic medical records. METHODS A literature search was performed to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the electronic medical record recruitment method using MEDLINE, PubMed, PubMed Central, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library databases. These searches generated 11 articles that met the eligibility criteria, and handsearching reference lists generated two additional articles bringing the total number of articles to 13. These articles were subjected to critical appraisal utilising the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool. RESULTS Out of the 13 included articles, 11 provided quantitative data on recruitment effectiveness while seven articles provided quantitative data on recruitment efficiency. The automation in screening and patient identification by using alerts, a notification system, to notify research staff of a potential participant, was observed to contribute to higher recruitment yield and reduced workload due to its specificity on participant screening. The use of electronic medical record alerts was found to be associated with better recruitment outcomes when they were sent to dedicated research staff rather than physicians. Using electronic medical records for recruitment was found to be effective due to its capability for patient identification outside working hours and fast processing time, which was particularly useful for clinical trials in acute conditions. Several challenges may hinder the impact of the electronic medical record recruitment method, including the lack of conformity of clinical trial eligibility criteria and electronic medical record data structure and missing data. 'Alert fatigue' could also impact on the effectiveness of this method in the long term. CONCLUSION The results from this review supports electronic medical record being an effective and efficient method for clinical trial recruitment. Recommendations were made in order to maximise the potential of the electronic medical record recruitment method and also for future research in order to improve the quality of evidence to support this strategy for recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan See Lai
- 1 School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK.,2 Research Clinic, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore.,3 KK Research Centre, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Janyne Dawn Afseth
- 1 School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
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Speich B, von Niederhäusern B, Schur N, Hemkens LG, Fürst T, Bhatnagar N, Alturki R, Agarwal A, Kasenda B, Pauli-Magnus C, Schwenkglenks M, Briel M. Systematic review on costs and resource use of randomized clinical trials shows a lack of transparent and comprehensive data. J Clin Epidemiol 2017; 96:1-11. [PMID: 29288136 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are costly. We aimed to provide a systematic overview of the available evidence on resource use and costs for RCTs to support budget planning. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and HealthSTAR from inception until November 30, 2016 without language restrictions. We included any publication reporting empirical data on resource use and costs of RCTs and categorized them depending on whether they reported (i) resource and costs of all aspects at all study stages of an RCT (including conception, planning, preparation, conduct, and all tasks after the last patient has completed the RCT); (ii) on several aspects, (iii) on a single aspect (e.g., recruitment); or (iv) on overall costs for RCTs. Median costs of different recruitment strategies were calculated. Other results (e.g., overall costs) were listed descriptively. All cost data were converted into USD 2017. RESULTS A total of 56 articles that reported on cost or resource use of RCTs were included. None of the articles provided empirical resource use and cost data for all aspects of an entire RCT. Eight articles presented resource use and cost data on several aspects (e.g., aggregated cost data of different drug development phases, site-specific costs, selected cost components). Thirty-five articles assessed costs of one specific aspect of an RCT (i.e., 30 on recruitment; five others). The median costs per recruited patient were USD 409 (range: USD 41-6,990). Overall costs of an RCT, as provided in 16 articles, ranged from USD 43-103,254 per patient, and USD 0.2-611.5 Mio per RCT but the methodology of gathering these overall estimates remained unclear in 12 out of 16 articles (75%). CONCLUSION The usefulness of the available empirical evidence on resource use and costs of RCTs is limited. Transparent and comprehensive resource use and cost data are urgently needed to support budget planning for RCTs and help improve sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Speich
- Department of Clinical Research, Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Switzerland
| | - Belinda von Niederhäusern
- Clinical Trial Unit, Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nadine Schur
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lars G Hemkens
- Department of Clinical Research, Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Fürst
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Neera Bhatnagar
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Reem Alturki
- Multi Organ Transplant Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital Dammam, P.O. Box 15215, Dammam 31444, Saudi Arabia
| | - Arnav Agarwal
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; School of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin Kasenda
- Department of Clinical Research, Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Switzerland; Department of Medical Oncology, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christiane Pauli-Magnus
- Clinical Trial Unit, Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Schwenkglenks
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Briel
- Department of Clinical Research, Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Switzerland; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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Flood-Grady E, Clark VC, Bauer A, Morelli L, Horne P, Krieger JL, Nelson DR. Evaluating the Efficacy of a Registry linked to a Consent to Re-Contact Program and Communication Strategies for Recruiting and Enrolling Participants into Clinical Trials. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2017; 8:62-66. [PMID: 29503877 PMCID: PMC5831259 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although registries can rapidly identify clinical study participants, it is unknown which follow up methods for recruiting are most effective. Our goal is to examine the efficacy of three communication strategies for recruiting and enrolling patients who were identified via a contact registry (i.e., registry linked to a consent to re-contact program). METHODS Patients who met the study criteria were identified via the contact registry and targeted for recruitment. In condition 1, patients established in the university hepatology specialty clinics were contacted one time via phone call by the study coordinator and asked to participate (C1). In condition 2, non-established specialty clinic patients were mailed an IRB-approved letter with study information and instructions for calling the study coordinator to participate (C2). Condition 2A included patients who called within two weeks of receiving the letter (C2A); condition 2B included patients who did not call after receiving the letter but were subsequently contacted via phone call. RESULTS A registry identified 1,060 patients, of which 661were eligible and targeted for recruiting. All 37 patients were reached in C1 and 17 (45.9%) were recruited. Nineteen of the 624 patients in C2A were reached and 10 were recruited whereas 120 of the 605 patients in C2B were reached and 53 (8.7%) were recruited. Seventy patients enrolled with C2B being the most effective (total, cost) recruitment strategy (n = 50) (p < .001). CONCLUSION The efficacy of enrolling patients identified via a contact registry into clinical trials varies based on the communication strategies used for recruiting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Flood-Grady
- STEM Translational Communication Center, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Virginia C. Clark
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Section of Hepatobiliary Diseases and Liver Transplantation, University of Florida, United States
| | - Angie Bauer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Section of Hepatobiliary Diseases and Liver Transplantation, University of Florida, United States
| | - Lauren Morelli
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Section of Hepatobiliary Diseases and Liver Transplantation, University of Florida, United States
| | - Patrick Horne
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Section of Hepatobiliary Diseases and Liver Transplantation, University of Florida, United States
| | - Janice L. Krieger
- STEM Translational Communication Center, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Advertising, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - David R. Nelson
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Section of Hepatobiliary Diseases and Liver Transplantation, University of Florida, United States
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11
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Pinto CB, Vélez FGS, French MN, Zeng D, Crandell D, Bolognini N, Merabet LB, Fregni F. STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE RECRUITMENT METHODS IN PHANTOM LIMB PAIN CLINICAL TRIALS. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 4:72-79. [PMID: 29683138 DOI: 10.18203/2349-3259.ijct20171917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Phantom Limp Pain (PLP) was first described in 1551. To date, its mechanisms and novel interventions remain mostly untested. Only limited conclusions can be drawn from few and small randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on PLP. In this scenario, recruitment strategies are crucial in order to overcome inherent challenges to recruit PLP subjects for clinical trials. Although there are many methods to enhance recruitment and also retention, in this article we discuss these methods based on a common topic: dissemination. We summarize and discuss 10 strategies of recruitment related to the dissemination of information based on the notion that an increase in trial awareness may lead to both increased recruitment and also increased external generalizability. In addition, in our discussion we included insights based on our experience recruiting PLP patients for our large NIH-sponsored clinical trial. Although specific regulatory considerations need to be considered when choosing the methods of recruitment, which may vary across different countries and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), these strategies may be applicable to most of research settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Bonin Pinto
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Center for Clinical Research Learning, Physics and Rehabilitation Department, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.,Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Psychology Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Faddi Ghassan Saleh Vélez
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Center for Clinical Research Learning, Physics and Rehabilitation Department, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Melanie N French
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Center for Clinical Research Learning, Physics and Rehabilitation Department, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Dian Zeng
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Center for Clinical Research Learning, Physics and Rehabilitation Department, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - David Crandell
- Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology, Milan Center for Neuroscience - NeuroMi, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.,Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milano, Italy
| | - Lotfi B Merabet
- The Laboratory for Visual Neuroplasticity, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Felipe Fregni
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Center for Clinical Research Learning, Physics and Rehabilitation Department, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
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12
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Olsen K, Howel D, Barber R, Ford GA, Gallagher P, McAllister-Williams RH, Nilsson J, O’Brien J, Parker J, Thomas A. Lessons from a pilot and feasibility randomised trial in depression (Blood pressure Rapid Intensive Lowering And Normal Treatment for Mood and cognition in persistent depression (BRILiANT mood study)). Pilot Feasibility Stud 2015; 1:44. [PMID: 27965822 PMCID: PMC5154019 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-015-0042-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The blood pressure rapid intensive lowering and normal treatment for mood and cognition in persistent depression (BRILiANT mood study) was devised as a pilot study to investigate the feasibility and safety of intensive blood pressure lowering as treatment for persistent mood and cognitive symptoms in older adults with major depressive disorder and to assess the availability of this population for recruitment. In addition, the relationship between reduced blood pressure and the change in cerebral blood flow and mood was to be investigated. METHODS A single centre pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT), with two parallel groups of intensive or normal treatment for hypertension, recruiting from primary and secondary care and newspaper advert, with an aim of recruiting 66 participants, was observed in this study. At the end of the recruitment period, in order to explore the reasons for failure to recruit to target, surveys were developed and issued to those involved in recruitment. RESULTS Recruitment rates were lower than expected which led to the study being expanded to further areas and opened to self-referral via advertisement. However, because of better management of hypertension due to changes in the UK Quality and Outcomes Framework guidelines for blood pressure treatment, few eligible patients were identified and the study closed at the end of the recruitment period, with 13 participants consenting, but 12 failing screening resulting in one recruited participant. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the BRILiANT mood study was found not to be feasible, and results suggest that the expected patient population no longer exists. To overcome such recruitment difficulties, a prompt commencement of a study after funding so no relevant care changes occur might help prevent similar problems in future studies. In addition, self-referral, in this case via advertisement in papers, may be a useful tool to increase response rate. When recruiting in primary care, direct access to primary care databases, in a secure and anonymised way, may enable more effective screening. Ultimately, the BRILiANT mood study was shown not to be feasible; this was a useful conclusion from this pilot study. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN 64524251; UKCRN Portfolio No: 13284.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty Olsen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Campus for Ageing & Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL UK
| | - Denise Howel
- Institute of Health & Society, Baddiley-Clark Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX UK
| | - Robert Barber
- Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Older Peoples Mental Health Services, Centre for the Health of the Elderly, Campus for Ageing & Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6BE UK
| | - Gary A. Ford
- Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PL UK
| | - Peter Gallagher
- Institute of Neuroscience & Newcastle Institute for Ageing, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Plane, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH UK
| | - R. Hamish McAllister-Williams
- Institute of Neuroscience & Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Academic Psychiatry, Wolfson Research Centre, Campus for Ageing & Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 4LP UK
| | - Jonna Nilsson
- Aging Research Centre, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University, Gävlegatan 16, SE-113 30 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John O’Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Level E4, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 189, Cambridge, CB2 0SP UK
| | - Jennie Parker
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, 1-4 Claremont Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AE UK
| | - Alan Thomas
- Institute of Neuroscience & Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Campus for Ageing & Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL UK
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13
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Rorie D, Flynn R, McConnachie L, Mackenzie IS, Macdonald TM. Poster advertisements in practice waiting rooms to recruit patients to the Treatment In Morning vs. Evening (TIME) online study. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2015; 80:325-6. [PMID: 25690880 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- D Rorie
- Medicines Monitoring Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - R Flynn
- Medicines Monitoring Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - L McConnachie
- Medicines Monitoring Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - I S Mackenzie
- Medicines Monitoring Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - T M Macdonald
- Medicines Monitoring Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
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