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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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Tsaltskan V, Sanchez Baez R, Firestein GS. Cost-effectiveness of social media advertising as a recruitment tool: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Transl Sci 2023; 7:e180. [PMID: 37745929 PMCID: PMC10514690 DOI: 10.1017/cts.2023.596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Recruitment of study participants is challenging and can incur significant costs. Social media advertising is a promising method for recruiting clinical studies and may improve cost efficiency by targeting populations likely to match a study's qualifications. Prior systematic reviews of social media as a recruitment tool have been favourable, however, there are no meta-analyses of its cost-effectiveness. Methods Studies evaluating recruitment costs through social media and non-social media methods were identified on MEDLINE and EMBASE. Articles were screened through a two-step process in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Cost data were extracted from selected articles and meta-analyzed using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The primary outcome was the relative cost-effectiveness of social media compared to non-social media recruitment, defined as the odds ratio of recruiting a participant per US dollar spent. The secondary outcome was the cost-effectiveness of social media recruitment compared to other online recruitment methods only. Results In total, 23 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The odds ratio of recruiting a participant through social media advertising compared to non-social media methods per dollar spent was 1.97 [95% CI 1.24-3.00, P = 0.004]. The odds ratio of recruiting a participant through social media compared to other online methods only was 1.66 [95% CI 1.02-2.72, P = 0.04]. Conclusions Social media advertising may be more cost-effective than other methods of recruitment, however, the magnitude of cost-effectiveness is highly variable between studies. There are limited data on newer social media platforms and on difficult-to-reach populations such as non-English speakers or older individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav Tsaltskan
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Roel Sanchez Baez
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gary S. Firestein
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Darko EM, Kleib M, Olson J. Social Media Use for Research Participant Recruitment: Integrative Literature Review. J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e38015. [PMID: 35925655 PMCID: PMC9389385 DOI: 10.2196/38015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social media tools have provided health researchers with the opportunity to engage with communities and groups in a nonconventional manner to recruit participants for health research. Using social media to advertise research opportunities and recruit participants facilitates accessibility to participants from broad geographical areas and diverse populations. However, little guidance is provided by ethics review boards for researchers to effectively use this recruitment method in their research. OBJECTIVE This study sought to explore the literature on the use of social media for participant recruitment for research studies and identify the best practices for recruiting participants using this method. METHODS An integrative review approach was used to synthesize the literature. A total of 5 health sciences databases, namely, EMBASE (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid and EBSCOhost), PsycINFO (Ovid), Scopus (Elsevier), and CINAHL Plus with Full Text (EBSCOhost), were searched using predefined keywords and inclusion and exclusion criteria. The initial search was conducted in October 2020 and was updated in February 2022. Descriptive and content analyses were applied to synthesize the results, and the findings are presented in a narrative and tabular format. RESULTS A total of 96 records were included in this review, 83 (86%) from the initial search and 13 (14%) from the updated search. The publication year ranged between 2011 and 2022, with most publications (63/96, 66%) being from the United States. Regarding recruitment strategy, 45% (43/96) of the studies exclusively used social media, whereas 51% (49/96) used social media in conjunction with other strategies. The remaining 4% (4/96) provided guidelines and recommendations for social media recruitment. Notably, 38% (36/96) of these studies involved hard-to-reach populations. The findings also revealed that the use of social media is a cost-effective and efficient strategy for recruiting research participants. Despite the expanded use across different populations, there is limited participation of older adults in social media recruitment. CONCLUSIONS This review provides important insights into the current use of social media for health research participant recruitment. Ethics boards and research support services in academic institutions are encouraged to explicitly provide researchers with guidelines on the use of social media for health research participant recruitment. A preliminary guideline prepared based on the findings of this review is proposed to spark further development in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Mirekuwaa Darko
- College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Manal Kleib
- College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Joanne Olson
- College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Zimmermann BM, Willem T, Bredthauer CJ, Buyx A. Ethical Issues in Social Media Recruitment for Clinical Studies: Ethical Analysis and Framework. J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e31231. [PMID: 35503247 PMCID: PMC9115665 DOI: 10.2196/31231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social media recruitment for clinical studies holds the promise of being a cost-effective way of attracting traditionally marginalized populations and promoting patient engagement with researchers and a particular study. However, using social media for recruiting clinical study participants also poses a range of ethical issues. OBJECTIVE This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the ethical benefits and risks to be considered for social media recruitment in clinical studies and develop practical recommendations on how to implement these considerations. METHODS On the basis of established principles of clinical ethics and research ethics, we reviewed the conceptual and empirical literature for ethical benefits and challenges related to social media recruitment. From these, we derived a conceptual framework to evaluate the eligibility of social media use for recruitment for a specific clinical study. RESULTS We identified three eligibility criteria for social media recruitment for clinical studies: information and consent, risks for target groups, and recruitment effectiveness. These criteria can be used to evaluate the implementation of a social media recruitment strategy at its planning stage. We have discussed the practical implications of these criteria for researchers. CONCLUSIONS The ethical challenges related to social media recruitment are context sensitive. Therefore, social media recruitment should be planned rigorously, taking into account the target group, the appropriateness of social media as a recruitment channel, and the resources available to execute the strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina M Zimmermann
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Theresa Willem
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Science, Technology and Society, School of Social Sciences and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Carl Justus Bredthauer
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alena Buyx
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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Non-use of information and communication technology as a predictor of frailty in postmenopausal midlife and older women. Maturitas 2021; 156:60-64. [PMID: 34275701 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2021.05.010] [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: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Frailty is a clinically discernible state in which decreased physiological reserve and function result in a reduced ability to cope with stressors. Information and communication technology (ICT) has been proposed as an aid to help with frailty, yet the use of ICT by older people, particularly women, is an understudied area. AIM To analyze the association between use of ICT (specifically internet functions and social media) and frailty status in postmenopausal midlife and elderly women. METHODS A cross-sectional study was designed to investigate whether frailty status is related to ICT use in postmenopausal midlife and older women. Community-dwelling women attending primary health care centers for health checks were invited to participate in the study. Postmenopausal status was the only inclusion criterion, whereas limitations that could interfere with use of ICT were exclusion criteria. The Fried phenotype was used to assess frailty. Four types of ICT use were examined: the internet for e-mail, the internet for other functions, and social media (WhatsApp or Facebook). Chi-square test and multivariate multinomial regression analysis were used to examine the association between frailty status and ICT use. RESULTS We included 409 women (age = 67.45 ± 7.81 years, mean ± SD), who were frail (n = 135, 33.01%), pre-frail (n = 159, 38.87%), or robust (n = 115, 28.11%). Frailty status was significantly and inversely associated with any ICT use, showing a strong association with use of WhatsApp (P < 0.001) and internet searches (P < 0.001). ICT non-use was a predictor of frailty, while ICT users were more likely to be robust (OR 10.62; 95% [CI], 5.34-21.10) or pre-frail (OR 9.03; [CI], 95% 5.18-15.74). CONCLUSION Postmenopausal midlife and older women not using ICT were more likely to be frail.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health clinical trials network was funded by the National Institutes of Health to find new ways to alleviate the most common, bothersome menopausal symptoms by designing and conducting multiple concurrent clinical intervention studies, accommodating a wide scope of populations and intervention strategies. METHODS Trials were conducted in Boston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Seattle, with the Data Coordinating Center in Seattle, and were designed with standardized eligibility criteria and endpoints. Primary outcomes focused on vasomotor symptoms, sleep quality and insomnia symptoms, and vaginal symptoms. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, sexual function, and mood. RESULTS We completed five randomized clinical trials and three ancillary studies, testing nine interventions in over 1,300 women and collecting nearly 16,000 bio-specimens. Escitalopram, venlafaxine hydrochloride extended release, and low-dose estradiol diminished hot flashes by approximately 50% as compared with a 30% decrease by placebo. No benefits on vasomotor symptoms were observed with yoga or exercise compared with usual activity, nor with omega-3 supplementation compared with placebo. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia reduced self-reported insomnia symptoms and improved overall sleep quality compared with menopause education control. We did not find significant benefit from a vaginal estradiol tablet or a vaginal moisturizer compared with placebo tablet and gel in diminishing the severity of vaginal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The MsFLASH trials contributed substantially to our understanding of bothersome menopausal symptom treatment. It is important that clinicians counseling women about available treatment options consider all therapies-both nonhormonal and hormonal.
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Brøgger-Mikkelsen M, Ali Z, Zibert JR, Andersen AD, Thomsen SF. Online Patient Recruitment in Clinical Trials: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Med Internet Res 2020; 22:e22179. [PMID: 33146627 PMCID: PMC7673977 DOI: 10.2196/22179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recruitment for clinical trials continues to be a challenge, as patient recruitment is the single biggest cause of trial delays. Around 80% of trials fail to meet the initial enrollment target and timeline, and these delays can result in lost revenue of as much as US $8 million per day for drug developing companies. Objective This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of online recruitment of participants for clinical trials compared with traditional in-clinic/offline recruitment methods. Methods Data on recruitment rates (the average number of patients enrolled in the study per month and per day of active recruitment) and conversion rates (the percentage of participants screened who proceed to enroll into the clinical trial), as well as study characteristics and patient demographics were collected from the included studies. Differences in online and offline recruitment rates and conversion rates were examined using random effects models. Further, a nonparametric paired Wilcoxon test was used for additional analysis on the cost-effectiveness of online patient recruitment. All data analyses were conducted in R language, and P<.05 was considered significant. Results In total, 3861 articles were screened for inclusion. Of these, 61 studies were included in the review, and 23 of these were further included in the meta-analysis. We found online recruitment to be significantly more effective with respect to the recruitment rate for active days of recruitment, where 100% (7/7) of the studies included had a better online recruitment rate compared with offline recruitment (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 4.17, P=.04). When examining the entire recruitment period in months we found that 52% (12/23) of the studies had a better online recruitment rate compared with the offline recruitment rate (IRR 1.11, P=.71). For cost-effectiveness, we found that online recruitment had a significantly lower cost per enrollee compared with offline recruitment (US $72 vs US $199, P=.04). Finally, we found that 69% (9/13) of studies had significantly better offline conversion rates compared with online conversion rates (risk ratio 0.8, P=.02). Conclusions Targeting potential participants using online remedies is an effective approach for patient recruitment for clinical research. Online recruitment was both superior in regard to time efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared with offline recruitment. In contrast, offline recruitment outperformed online recruitment with respect to conversion rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Brøgger-Mikkelsen
- Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Studies&Me A/S, LEO Innovation Lab, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zarqa Ali
- Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - John R Zibert
- Studies&Me A/S, LEO Innovation Lab, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Simon Francis Thomsen
- Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Darmawan I, Bakker C, Brockman TA, Patten CA, Eder M. The Role of Social Media in Enhancing Clinical Trial Recruitment: Scoping Review. J Med Internet Res 2020; 22:e22810. [PMID: 33104015 PMCID: PMC7652693 DOI: 10.2196/22810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recruiting participants into clinical trials continues to be a challenge, which can result in study delay or termination. Recent studies have used social media to enhance recruitment outcomes. An assessment of the literature on the use of social media for this purpose is required. OBJECTIVE This study aims to answer the following questions: (1) How is the use of social media, in combination with traditional approaches to enhance clinical trial recruitment and enrollment, represented in the literature? and (2) Do the data on recruitment and enrollment outcomes presented in the literature allow for comparison across studies? METHODS We conducted a comprehensive literature search across 7 platforms to identify clinical trials that combined social media and traditional methods to recruit patients. Study and participant characteristics, recruitment methods, and recruitment outcomes were evaluated and compared. RESULTS We identified 2371 titles and abstracts through our systematic search. Of these, we assessed 95 full papers and determined that 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 17 studies reported enrollment outcomes, of which 9 achieved or exceeded their enrollment target. The proportion of participants enrolled from social media in these studies ranged from 0% to 49%. Across all 33 studies, the proportion of participants recruited and enrolled from social media varied greatly. A total of 9 studies reported higher enrollment rates from social media than any other methods, and 4 studies reported the lowest cost per enrolled participant from social media. CONCLUSIONS While the assessment of the use of social media to improve clinical trial participation is hindered by reporting inconsistencies, preliminary data suggest that social media can increase participation and reduce per-participant cost. The adoption of consistent standards for reporting recruitment and enrollment outcomes is required to advance our understanding and use of social media to support clinical trial success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Darmawan
- Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Caitlin Bakker
- Health Sciences Libraries, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Tabetha A Brockman
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Christi A Patten
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Milton Eder
- Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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Salvy SJ, Carandang K, Vigen CL, Concha-Chavez A, Sequeira PA, Blanchard J, Diaz J, Raymond J, Pyatak EA. Effectiveness of social media (Facebook), targeted mailing, and in-person solicitation for the recruitment of young adult in a diabetes self-management clinical trial. Clin Trials 2020; 17:664-674. [PMID: 32627589 DOI: 10.1177/1740774520933362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Research is needed to identify promising recruitment strategies to reach and engage diverse young adults in diabetes clinical research. The aim of this study was to examine the relative strengths and weaknesses of three recruitment strategies used in a diabetes self-management clinical trial: social media advertising (Facebook), targeted mailing, and in-person solicitation of clinic patients. METHODS Strategies were compared in terms of (1) cost-effectiveness (i.e. cost of recruitment/number of enrolled participants), (2) ability to yield participants who would not otherwise be reached by alternative strategies, and (3) likelihood of participants recruited through each strategy to adhere to study procedures. We further explored the appeal (overall and among age and gender subgroups) of social media advertisement features. RESULTS In-person recruitment of clinic patients was overall the most cost-effective strategy. However, differences in demographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics of participants recruited via different strategies suggest that the combination of these approaches yielded a more diverse sample than would any one strategy alone. Once successfully enrolled, there was no difference in study completion and intervention adherence between individuals recruited by the three recruitment strategies. CONCLUSIONS Ultimately, the utility of a recruitment strategy is defined by its ability to effectively attract people representative of the target population who are willing to enroll in and complete the study. Leveraging a variety of recruitment strategies appears to produce a more representative sample of young adults, including those who are less engaged in diabetes care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah-Jeanne Salvy
- Research Center for Health Equity, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, USA
| | | | - Cheryl Lp Vigen
- Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Jeanine Blanchard
- Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jesus Diaz
- Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A Pyatak
- Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Horrell LN, Lazard AJ, Bhowmick A, Hayes S, Mees S, Valle CG. Attracting Users to Online Health Communities: Analysis of LungCancer.net's Facebook Advertisement Campaign Data. J Med Internet Res 2019; 21:e14421. [PMID: 31682589 PMCID: PMC6861997 DOI: 10.2196/14421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With growing numbers of adults turning to the internet to get answers for health-related questions, online communities provide platforms with participatory networks to deliver health information and social support. However, to optimize the benefits of these online communities, these platforms must market effectively to attract new members and promote community growth. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess the engagement results of Facebook advertisements designed to increase membership in the LungCancer.net online community. METHODS In the fall of 2017, a series of 5 weeklong Facebook advertisement campaigns were launched targeting adults over the age of 18 years with an interest in lung cancer to increase opt ins to the LungCancer.net community (ie, the number of people who provided their email to join the site). RESULTS The advertisements released during this campaign had a sum reach of 91,835 people, and 863 new members opted into the LungCancer.net community by providing their email address. Females aged 55 to 64 years were the largest population reached by the campaign (31,401/91,835; 34.29%), whereas females aged 65 and older were the largest population who opted into the LungCancer.net community (307/863; 35.57%). A total of US $1742 was invested in the Facebook campaigns, and 863 people opted into LungCancer.net, resulting in a cost of US $2.02 per new member. CONCLUSIONS This research demonstrates the feasibility of using Facebook advertising to promote and grow online health communities. More research is needed to compare the effectiveness of various advertising approaches. Public health professionals should consider Facebook campaigns to effectively connect intended audiences to health information and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey N Horrell
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Allison J Lazard
- School of Media and Journalism, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Amrita Bhowmick
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Health Union, LLC, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sara Hayes
- Health Union, LLC, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Susan Mees
- Health Union, LLC, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Carmina G Valle
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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