Strategies for recruitment and retention of underrepresented populations with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for a clinical trial

Exercise-based interventions targeting balance and falls in people with COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

This review quantifies the mean treatment effect of exercise-based interventions on balance and falls risk in people with COPD.

METHODS

A structured search strategy (2000-2023) was applied to eight databases to identify studies evaluating the impact of exercise-based interventions (≥14 days in duration) on balance or falls in people with COPD. Pooled mean treatment effects (95% confidence intervals (CIs), 95% prediction intervals (PIs)) were calculated for outcomes reported in five or more studies. Inter-individual response variance and the promise of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) were explored.

RESULTS

34 studies (n=1712) were included. There were greater improvements in balance post intervention compared to controls for the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) (mean 2.51, 95% CI 0.22-4.80, 95% PI -4.60-9.63), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test (mean -1.12 s, 95% CI -1.69- -0.55 s, 95% PI -2.78-0.54 s), Single-Leg Stance (SLS) test (mean 3.25 s, 95% CI 2.72-3.77 s, 95% PI 2.64-3.86 s) and Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale (mean 8.50%, 95% CI 2.41-14.58%, 95% PI -8.92-25.92%). Effect on falls remains unknown. Treatment effects were larger in male versus mixed-sex groups for the ABC scale and SLS test, and in balance training versus other exercise-based interventions for the BBS and TUG test. Falls history was not associated with changes in balance. Meta-analysis of individual response variance was not possible and study-level results were inconclusive. Eleven promising BCTs were identified (promise ratio ≥2).

CONCLUSION

Evidence for the effect of exercise-based interventions eliciting clinically important improvements in balance for people with COPD is weak, but targeted balance training produces the greatest benefits. Future exercise interventions may benefit from inclusion of the identified promising BCTs.

Real-time evaluation and adaptation to facilitate rapid recruitment in a large, prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Recruiting large cohorts efficiently can speed the translation of findings into care across a range of scientific disciplines and medical specialties. Recruitment can be hampered by factors such as financial barriers, logistical concerns, and lack of resources for patients and clinicians. These and other challenges can lead to underrepresentation in groups such as rural residents and racial and ethnic minorities. Here we discuss the implementation of various recruitment strategies for enrolling participants into a large, prospective cohort study, assessing the need for adaptations and making them in real-time, while maintaining high adherence to the protocol and high participant satisfaction.

METHODS

While conducting a large, prospective trial of a multi-cancer early detection blood test at Geisinger, an integrated health system in central Pennsylvania, we monitored recruitment progress, adherence to the protocol, and participants' satisfaction. Tracking mechanisms such as paper records, electronic health records, research databases, dashboards, and electronic files were utilized to measure each outcome. We then reviewed study procedures and timelines to list the implementation strategies that were used to address barriers to recruitment, protocol adherence and participant satisfaction.

RESULTS

Adaptations to methods that contributed to achieving the enrollment goal included offering multiple recruitment options, adopting group consenting, improving visit convenience, increasing the use of electronic capture and the tracking of data and source documents, staffing optimization via leveraging resources external to the study team when appropriate, and integrating the disclosure of study results into routine clinical care without adding unfunded work for clinicians. We maintained high protocol adherence and positive participant experience as exhibited by a very low rate of protocol deviations and participant complaints.

CONCLUSION

Recruiting rapidly for large studies - and thereby facilitating clinical translation - requires a nimble, creative approach that marshals available resources and changes course according to data. Planning a rigorous assessment of a study's implementation outcomes prior to study recruitment can further ground study adaptations and facilitate translation into practice. This can be accomplished by proactively and continuously assessing and revising implementation strategies.

Health Disparities: Interventions for Pulmonary Disease - A Narrative Review

There is expansive literature documenting the presence of health disparities, but there are disproportionately few studies describing interventions to reduce disparity. In this narrative review, we categorize interventions to reduce health disparity in pulmonary disease within the US health care system to support future initiatives to reduce disparity. We identified 211 articles describing interventions to reduce disparity in pulmonary disease related to race, income, or sex. We grouped the studies into the following four categories: biologic, educational, behavioral, and structural. We identified the following five main themes: (1) there were few interventional trials compared with the breadth of studies describing health disparities, and trials involving patients with asthma who were Black, low income, and living in an urban setting were overrepresented; (2) race or socioeconomic status was not an effective marker of individual pharmacologic treatment response; (3) telehealth enabled scaling of care, but more work is needed to understand how to leverage telehealth to improve outcomes in marginalized communities; (4) future interventions must explicitly target societal drivers of disparity, rather than focusing on individual behavior alone; and (5) individual interventions will only be maximally effective when specifically tailored to local needs. Much work has been done to catalog health disparities in pulmonary disease. Notable gaps in the identified literature include few interventional trials, the need for research in diseases outside of asthma, the need for high quality effectiveness trials, and an understanding of how to implement proven interventions balancing fidelity to the original protocol and the need to adapt to local barriers to care.

The role of perceived expertise and trustworthiness in research study and clinical trial recruitment: Perspectives of clinical research coordinators and African American and Black Caribbean patients

This study investigates the role of source credibility on minority participant recruitment, particularly African American and Black Caribbean patients. A total of nine focus groups (N = 48 participants) were conducted with both patient groups and clinical research coordinators (CRCs). Using the elaboration likelihood model as a guiding framework for analysis, this study found that the credibility of research coordinators (or other professionals who recruit for research studies and clinical trials) was instrumental in shaping attitudes of prospective participants. The perspectives of patients and CRCs aligned closely, with few exceptions. For both groups, professionalism and professional displays (clothing, institutional artifacts) enhanced perceived expertise, a core component of credibility. Trustworthiness, another important component of credibility, was fostered through homophily between recruiter and patient, expressions of goodwill and assuaging anxiety about CRCs' financial motivations for recruitment. Additionally, CRCs believed that credibility was supported when CRCs could emphasize transparency and truthfulness in communication. The importance of these findings for the development of empirically-based training programs to improve communication practices in recruitment contexts is discussed.

Engagement in the Michigan Screening and Intervention for Glaucoma and Eye Health through Telemedicine Program: Comparing the Effect of Clinic versus Community-Based Recruitment Strategies

PURPOSE

To determine the effectiveness of adding community-based recruitment to clinic-based recruitment to engage participants in a glaucoma detection program.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SUBJECTS

Anyone ≥ 18 years of age who does not meet exclusion criteria.

METHODS

The Michigan Screening and Intervention for Glaucoma and Eye Health through Telemedicine (MI-SIGHT) program tests a novel way of improving glaucoma detection in communities with populations at high risk for disease, including people who identify as Black and Hispanic and those living with low socioeconomic status. The MI-SIGHT program is conducted in a free clinic (Ypsilanti, MI) and in a federally qualified health center (FQHC) (Flint, MI). Community engagement methods were used to identify outreach strategies to enhance recruitment. Participants were asked "How did you hear about the MI-SIGHT program?" and responses were summarized overall and by clinic and compared between clinic-based and community-based recruitment strategies.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Proportion recruited by location, within or outside of the clinic.

RESULTS

In total, 647 participants were recruited in the first 11 months of the study, 356 (55.0%) at the free clinic over 11 months and 291 (45.0%) at the FQHC over 6 months. Participants were on average 54.4 years old (standard deviation = 14.2); 60.9% identified as female, 45.6% identified as Black, 37.8% identified as White, 9.6% identified as Hispanic, and 10.9% had less than high school education. Participants reported hearing about the MI-SIGHT program from a clinic phone call (n = 168, 26.1%), a friend (n = 112, 17.4%), nonmedical clinic staff (n = 100, 15.5%), a clinic doctor (n = 77, 11.9%), an in-clinic brochure or flyer (n = 51, 7.9%), a community flyer (n = 44, 6.8%), the clinic website or social media (n = 28, 4.3%), or an "other" source (n = 65, 10.1%). Recruiting from the community outside the medical clinics increased participation by 265% at the free clinic and 46% at the FQHC.

CONCLUSIONS

The Community Advisory Board recommendation to use community-based recruitment strategies in addition to clinic-based strategies for recruitment resulted in increased program participation.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S)

Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Lifestyle integrated functional exercise for people with interstitial lung disease (iLiFE): A mixed-methods feasibility study

BACKGROUND

People with interstitial lung disease (ILD) present low levels of physical activity (PA) and spend most of their time at home, especially in advanced stages of the disease. The Lifestyle Integrated Functional Exercise for people with ILD (iLiFE) embedding PA in patients' daily routines was developed and implemented.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of iLiFE.

METHODS

A pre/post mixed-methods feasibility study was conducted. Feasibility of iLiFE was determined by participant recruitment/retention, adherence, feasibility of outcome measures and adverse events. Measures of PA, sedentary behaviour, balance, muscle strength, functional performance/capacity, exercise capacity, impact of the disease, symptoms (i.e., dyspnoea, anxiety, depression, fatigue and cough) and health-related quality of life were collected at baseline and post-intervention (12-weeks). Semi-structured interviews with participants were conducted in-person immediately after iLiFE. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed by deductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Ten participants (5♀, 77±3y; FVCpp 77.1 ± 4.4, DLCOpp 42.4 ± 6.6) were included, but only nine completed the study. Recruitment was challenging (30%) and retention high (90%). iLiFE was feasible, with excellent adherence (84.4%) and no adverse events. Missing data were associated with one dropout and non-compliance with the accelerometer (n = 1). Participants reported that iLiFE contributed to (re)gain control in their daily life, namely through improving their well-being, functional status and motivation. Weather, symptoms, physical impairments and lack of motivation were identified as threats to keep an active lifestyle.

CONCLUSIONS

iLiFE seems to be feasible, safe and meaningful for people with ILD. A randomised controlled trial is needed to strengthen these promising findings.

Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Signing Up for a Mobile-Responsive Registry to Recruit Healthy Volunteers and Members of Underrepresented Communities for Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Studies

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) disproportionately affects Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino adults, yet they are underrepresented in AD studies. Recruitment challenges for these populations limit generalizability of findings.

OBJECTIVES

This study explores barriers and facilitators to signing up for an AD participant recruitment registry website intended to optimize recruitment of these adults. The registry is geared toward recruitment on smartphones and tablets (mobile devices), as research suggests that mobile-first approaches may be more successful within these populations.

DESIGN

In 2020, we conducted four focus groups (n = 39) and an online survey (n = 1010) with Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino adults. The survey also included Whites as a comparison group.

SETTING

Focus groups were in-person at research facilities in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Los Angeles, California. The online survey was distributed by a survey panel company to participants nationwide.

PARTICIPANTS

Black/African American (n = 360), Hispanic/Latino (n = 359), or White (n = 330) individuals, 45-75 years old, who self-reported not having mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia, or AD.

MEASUREMENTS

Barriers and facilitators explored in the focus groups and survey were related to health and AD (e.g., AD-related concerns and past participation/willingness to participate in health or AD studies); current use of mobile devices (e.g., comfort using devices and receptivity to the AD recruitment registry); and participant characteristics and beliefs (e.g., demographics, health literacy level, and trust in government and the scientific community).

RESULTS

The focus groups and survey revealed similar findings. Participants commonly use mobile devices to go online and perform health-related activities. They were aware of AD, expressed concerns with developing it, and were willing to participate in AD-related studies (motivated by personal connection to AD, altruism, and compensation). When presented with the AD recruitment registry, most provided positive feedback (e.g., easy to use and informative) and shared an interest in joining. Barriers to joining the registry with a mobile device included complex or multistep enrollment processes, beliefs that studies are primarily for those with a specific disease, and confusion about how studies can prevent AD among those low-risk for AD. The focus groups also revealed that Black/African American participants expressed more hesitation than Hispanic/Latinos in joining the registry due to greater distrust in the government and scientific community.

CONCLUSIONS

Recruiting more Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino participants into AD studies is vitally important. This mixed methods study suggests that adults in these underrepresented groups are motivated to prevent AD and willing to sign up for an AD participant recruitment registry using mobile devices. Most barriers to joining a registry can be addressed through slight modifications to the registry's design and functionality and by adding content. These findings can help enhance the appeal of joining AD recruitment registries to ultimately enroll more diverse, representative groups of participants and increase the generalizability of AD study findings.

Barriers to and solutions for representative inclusion across the lifespan and in life course research: The need for structural competency highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic

Exclusion of special populations (older adults; pregnant women, children, and adolescents; individuals of lower socioeconomic status and/or who live in rural communities; people from racial and ethnic minority groups; individuals from sexual or gender minority groups; and individuals with disabilities) in research is a pervasive problem, despite efforts and policy changes by the National Institutes of Health and other organizations. These populations are adversely impacted by social determinants of health (SDOH) that reduce access and ability to participate in biomedical research. In March 2020, the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute hosted the "Lifespan and Life Course Research: integrating strategies" "Un-Meeting" to discuss barriers and solutions to underrepresentation of special populations in biomedical research. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how exclusion of representative populations in research can increase health inequities. We applied findings of this meeting to perform a literature review of barriers and solutions to recruitment and retention of representative populations in research and to discuss how findings are important to research conducted during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight the role of SDOH, review barriers and solutions to underrepresentation, and discuss the importance of a structural competency framework to improve research participation and retention among special populations.

Improving Enrollment of Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Populations in Heart Failure Trials: A Call to Action From the Heart Failure Collaboratory

Importance

Despite bearing a disproportionate burden of heart failure (HF), Black and Hispanic individuals have been poorly represented in HF clinical trials. Underrepresentation in clinical trials limits the generalizability of the findings to these populations and may even introduce uncertainties and hesitancy when translating trial data to the care of people from underrepresented groups. The Heart Failure Collaboratory, a consortium of stakeholders convened to enhance HF therapeutic development, has been dedicated to improving recruitment strategies for patients from diverse and historically underrepresented groups.

Observations

Despite federal policies from the US Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health aimed at improving trial representation, gaps in trial enrollment proportionate to the racial and ethnic composition of the HF population have persisted. Increasing trial globalization with limited US enrollment is a major driver of these patterns. Additional barriers to representative enrollment include inequities in care access, logistical issues in participation, restrictive enrollment criteria, and English language requirements.

Conclusions and Relevance

Strategies for improving diverse trial enrollment include methodical study design and site selection, diversification of research leadership and staff, broadening of eligibility criteria, community and patient engagement, and broad stakeholder commitment. In contemporary HF trials, diverse trial enrollment is not only feasible but can be efficiently achieved to improve the generalizability and translation of trial knowledge to clinical practice.

How Should Representation of Subjects With LEP Become More Equitable in Clinical Trials?

Underrepresentation of individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) who speak Spanish is ongoing in phase 3 biomedical clinical trials and exacerbates health inequity. This article suggests strategies for increasing representation of Spanish speakers in clinical rials by emphasizing the importance of early engagement with Spanish language communities, inclusive participant recruitment, and collaborative trial design and implementation. Although investigators and institutions administering government-funded research must meet federal requirements for language assistance, journal editors, peer reviewers, institutional review board members, academic health centers, and all beneficiaries of the biomedical and behavioral research enterprise in the United States must motivate linguistic inclusion.

Antibody Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Vaccination in COPD: A Cohort Study

This article does not contain an abstract.

Using a Warm Hand-Off Approach to Enroll African American Caregivers in a Multi-Site Clinical Trial: The Handshake Protocol

"Testing Tele-Savvy" was a three-arm randomized controlled trial that recruited participants from four National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Alzheimer's Disease Centers with Emory University serving as the coordinating center. The enrollment process involved each center providing a list of eligible caregivers to the coordinating center to consent. Initially, the site proposed to recruit primarily African American caregivers generated a significant amount of referrals to the coordinating center, but a gap occurred in translating them into enrolled participants. To increase the enrollment rate, a "Handshake Protocol" was established, which included a warm handoff approach. During preset phone calls each week, the research site coordinator introduced potential participants to a culturally congruent co-investigator from the coordinating center who then completed the consent process. Within the first month of implementation, the team was 97% effective in meeting its goals. This protocol is an example of a successful, innovative approach to enrolling minority participants in multi-site clinical trials.

Increasing Participation of Women in Cardiovascular Trials: JACC Council Perspectives

Although some progress has been made in the last 3 decades to increase the number of women in clinical cardiology trials, review of recent cardiovascular literature demonstrates that women and underrepresented minority women are still underrepresented in most clinical cardiology trials. This is especially notable in trials of patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and arrhythmia studies, especially those involving devices and procedures. Despite the call from National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Institute of Medicine, and various professional societies, the gap remains. This paper seeks to identify the barriers for low enrollment and retention from patient, clinician, research team, study design, and system perspectives, and offers recommendations to improve recruitment and retention in the current era.

Patient characteristics associated with retention in an asthma self-management trial for older adults

OBJECTIVE

New self-management interventions are being developed for older adults who suffer from worse asthma morbidity than their younger counterparts, but high rates of study drop out have hampered these efforts and there is limited literature on what factors may influence retention in behavioral intervention studies with older adults. This study analyzed illness beliefs and patient characteristics that may contribute to retention in an asthma self-management trial for older adults.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial of a self-management support intervention for adults 60 years and older with persistent, uncontrolled asthma. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of medication and illness beliefs, and other subject characteristics with study retention, which was defined as completion of the research study interview at 6 and 12 months.

RESULTS

The randomized trial enrolled 388 individuals; 261 (67.3%) completed the 12-month interview. Higher perceived threat of chronic diseases relative to asthma was associated with higher study retention (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.00-1.24) at 12 months. Other variables including asthma beliefs, age, cognitive function, health literacy, and asthma symptoms were not significantly associated with retention.

CONCLUSIONS

Concern about non-asthma chronic conditions, but no other illness beliefs, or patient characteristics, were associated with retention in an asthma self-management support intervention. Further research, including qualitative studies, is needed to better understand why patients drop out of asthma behavioral intervention studies.

[The roles of patients in healthcare provision, training and research: A French perspective]

In 2002, patients were transformed into users of the French health system. As this opinion piece demonstrates, in 2021 they may at least potentially participate more actively than before. They can convey their knowledge of a disease and its treatments, and voluntarily share their experience. They can intervene in user representation and therapeutic patient education, the objective being to increase the autonomy of one and all, patients and public, in the training of professionals, clinical research and evolution of the health system. The rationale for the involvement of patients and their roles in provision of care, training and clinical research are analyzed from a French perspective. The obstacles to overcome and improvements to be achieved are reviewed, the objective being to promote enhanced health democracy through increased patient engagement. In 2021, however, the role of patients in the design and implementation of therapeutic patient education (TPE) and in the development of medical studies curricula remains limited if not restricted; this is due not only to a lack of information, but also to the resistance of health professionals and universities. Patients could and should assume a major role, fostering evolution toward a more just and effective health care system.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients' Acceptance in E-Health Clinical Trials

INTRODUCTION

Telehealth (TH) interventions with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) management were introduced in the literature more than 20 years ago with different labeling, but there was no summary for the overall acceptance and dropout rates as well as associated variables.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to summarize the acceptance and dropout rates used in TH interventions and identify to what extent clinical settings, sociodemographic factors, and intervention factors might impact the overall acceptance and completion rates of TH interventions.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search up to April 2021 on CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Cochrane, Web of Sciences, and Embase to retrieve randomized and non-randomized control trials that provide TH interventions alone or accompanied with other interventions to individuals with COPD.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the unweighted average of acceptance and dropout rates for all included studies were 80% and 19%, respectively. A meta-analysis on the pooled difference between the acceptance rates and dropout rates (weighted by the sample size) revealed a significant difference in acceptance and dropout rates among all TH interventions 51% (95% CI 49% to 52; p < 0.001) and 63% (95% CI 60% to 67; p < 0.001), respectively. Analysis revealed that acceptance and dropout rates can be impacted by trial-related, sociodemographic, and intervention-related variables. The most common reasons for dropouts were technical difficulties (33%), followed by complicated system (31%).

CONCLUSIONS

Current TH COPD interventions have a pooled acceptance rate of 51%, but this is accompanied by a high dropout rate of 63%. Acceptance and dropout levels in TH clinical trials can be affected by sociodemographic and intervention-related factors. This knowledge enlightens designs for well-accepted future TH clinical trials. PROSPERO registration number CRD4201707854.

Recruiting Persons with Dementia and Caregivers in a Clinical Trial: Dyads Perceptions

Recruitment for dementia research is challenging and costly. Using Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior we explored attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control of persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers who participated in one clinical trial to better understand factors that influence dyads' decisions to enroll. We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 12 PLWD and 9 caregivers and utilized directed content analysis. Categories connected with positive attitudes about study enrollment were personal desires of wanting to learn and in-person meetings with knowledgeable staff. Additionally, participants said the money always helps in terms of the financial incentive. Participants reported enrolling to support another person (perceived norm). Study requirements were thought to be easy (perceived behavioral control). Participants highlighted the importance of flexible scheduling and study tasks being completed at their home. Findings can inform future recruitment efforts and should be investigated as effective recruitment methods in other clinical trials.

Retaining diverse adults with diabetes in a long-term trial: Strategies, successes, and lessons learned

Background Retention can be difficult in longitudinal trials, especially among minoritized groups and individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES) who may experience more barriers to research participation. Organized retention strategies may help; however, limited research has reported on this in detail. Methods We employed several strategies throughout a 15-month randomized controlled trial to encourage retention among a diverse sample of adults with type 2 diabetes. Participants were randomized to receive mobile health support for diabetes self-care for 12 months or an attention control. Participants completed assessments at 3, 6, 12, and 15 months post-baseline. We used three main categories of retention strategies: flexibility in participation (e.g., multiple methods for data collection), communication (e.g., tracking contacts), and community building (e.g., study branding, newsletters). We monitored participants' use of strategies and examined associations between participant characteristics and retention. Results Retention remained high (≥90%) at each follow-up assessment. Participants used various methods for survey completion: online (34%), in-person (31%), and mail (30%). Most (73%) used a mail-in A1c kit at least once. Multiple completion methods were important for retaining minoritized and lower SES participants who completed assessments in-person more frequently. Communication also facilitated retention; 39% of participants used a study Helpline and tracking systems helped maintain contact. Conclusions Retaining disadvantaged patients in clinical trials is necessary so findings generalize to and can benefit these populations. Retention strategies that reduce barriers to participation and engage participants and community partners can be successful. Future studies should assess the impact of retention strategies.

Effective Recruitment Strategies for a Sickle Cell Patient Registry Across Sites from the Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (SCDIC)

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder predominantly affecting people of African descent and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. To improve SCD outcomes, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute funded eight centers to participate in the SCD Implementation Consortium. Sites were required to each recruit 300 individuals with SCD, over 20 months. We aim to describe recruitment strategies and challenges encountered. Participants aged 15-45 years with confirmed diagnosis of SCD were eligible. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the effectiveness of each recruitment strategy. A total of 2432 participants were recruited. Majority (95.3%) were African American. Successful strategies were recruitment from clinics (68.1%) and affiliated sites (15.6%). Recruitment at community events, emergency departments and pain centers had the lowest yield. Challenges included saturation of strategies and time constraints. Effective recruitment of participants in multi-site studies requires multiple strategies to achieve adequate sample sizes.

Recruiting migrant workers in Australia for Public Health surveys: how sampling strategy make a difference in estimates of workplace hazards

Objectives

One third of the Australian work force are immigrants. Relatively little is known about working conditions for specific migrant groups. The objectives of this paper are to describe and compare the sampling strategies used to recruit migrant workers from specific migrant groups working in Australia into a cross-sectional study designed to produce population estimates of workplace hazards and self-reported health.

Results

Two cross sectional telephone surveys were conducted with immigrants currently working in Australia. Survey 1 used quota sampling from lists provided by a sample broker. Survey 2 used a combination of probability and non-probability sampling, including random sampling from telephone lists. Data from the surveys were weighted and comparisons made with unweighted data. While weighting adjusted for most differences across the sample sources, the likelihood of exposure to workplace hazards depended on exposure types and sampling strategies. We concluded that by using a combination of sampling strategies it is possible to recruit immigrants from specific migrant groups and provide a balanced view of working conditions, although no one strategy was best for all types of measures. Access to a robust sample source for migrants would enable a better perspective to migrant populations’ working conditions.

Design of a home-based intervention for Houston-area African-American adults with asthma: Methods and lessons learned from a pragmatic randomized trial

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that home-based, multicomponent interventions can effectively reduce exposures to asthma triggers and decrease asthma symptoms. However, few of these studies have targeted adults. To address this and other research gaps, we designed and implemented a pragmatic randomized clinical trial, the Houston Home-based Integrated Intervention Targeting Better Asthma Control (HIITBAC) for African Americans, to assess the effectiveness of a home-based intervention to improve asthma control and quality of life in African-American adults-a population disproportionately affected by asthma. The primary goals were to help participants reduce allergens and irritants in their homes and better manage their disease through knowledge, improved medication use, and behavior change. HIITBAC had two groups: clinic-only and home-visit groups. Both groups received enhanced clinical care, but the home-visit group also received a detailed home assessment and four additional home visits spaced over roughly one year. We recruited 263 participants. Of these, 152 (57.8%) were recruited through electronic health record data, 51 (19.4%) through Emergency Medical Services data, and 60 (22.8%) through other efforts (e.g., emergency departments, community events, outreach). Seventy participants (26.6%) were lost to follow up, substantially more in the home-visit than in the clinic-only group. We describe the HIITBAC methodology and cohort, discuss lessons learned about recruitment and retention, and highlight adaptations we implemented to address these lessons.

Lessons learned for recruitment and retention of low-income African Americans

Recruitment and retention of low-income African Americans in clinical trials is challenging. This paper reports recruitment and retention strategies that yielded high rates for both in a clinical trial pilot to improve hypertension self-management among low-income African Americans. The study successfully recruited 96.7% (59 of 61 participants) within a seven month period. Retention rates for the 1, 3, and 6-month post-baseline assessment visits were 91.5%, 88.1%, and 83.1%, respectively. Recruitment and retention strategies include two grounded in previous literature: a culturally sensitive and diverse research team and use of incentives. Four additional strategies were developed for this study to meet the needs of the study site and participants, which included: study site collaboration; ongoing communications; responding to the clinical environment; and addressing participants’ health literacy levels. A discussion of key recruitment and retention strategies and suggestions for future studies focused on low-income African American participants ensues.