TY - JOUR
T1 - Recruiting and retaining low-income, multi-ethnic women into randomized controlled trials
T2 - Successful strategies and staffing
AU - Barnett, Josephine
AU - Aguilar, Stephanie
AU - Brittner, Mindy
AU - Bonuck, Karen
N1 - Funding Information:
We also wish to acknowledge the great contribution of the BINGO and PAIRINGS participants and research staff; a special thank you to Jennifer Lischewski, the study's dedicated project coordinator. This work was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grant R01 HD04976301A2 (Dr. Bonuck, PI), and by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities grant 1P60 MD 000516‐05 (Dr. H. Strelnick, PI).
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - Developing effective recruitment and retention strategies in populations with traditionally high attrition rates is critical to the success of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). Data on successful participation of women from low-income, minority populations in RCTs of behavioral interventions are limited. This is problematic given the multiplicity of Healthy People 2020 goals that target health disparities in these populations. This paper reports successful recruitment and retention methods from two separately funded NIH clinical trials of primary care-based prenatal interventions to increase breastfeeding among ethnically diverse, low-income women in urban medical centers in the Bronx, NY. It also presents the required staff effort necessary to conduct such a successful RCT, in terms of full-time equivalents (FTEs).Results include timely recruitment of 941 participants over 29. months, with 98.1% completing >--1 follow-up interview. A recruitment and retention plan that maximized study staff access and availability to the participant, as well as strong study staff rapport with participants, addressed previously reported barriers in this population, optimizing follow-up rates. A qualitative assessment of the participants' study experience suggesting that high retention was due to strong rapport with participants, short interviews requiring little time commitment, and participants' perception of the study as informative, provides further evidence of our approach's effectiveness.Logistical protocol procedures and staff management strategies relating to successful recruitment/retention are provided to propose a practical, cost-effective and translational recruitment-retention plan for other researchers to adopt.
AB - Developing effective recruitment and retention strategies in populations with traditionally high attrition rates is critical to the success of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). Data on successful participation of women from low-income, minority populations in RCTs of behavioral interventions are limited. This is problematic given the multiplicity of Healthy People 2020 goals that target health disparities in these populations. This paper reports successful recruitment and retention methods from two separately funded NIH clinical trials of primary care-based prenatal interventions to increase breastfeeding among ethnically diverse, low-income women in urban medical centers in the Bronx, NY. It also presents the required staff effort necessary to conduct such a successful RCT, in terms of full-time equivalents (FTEs).Results include timely recruitment of 941 participants over 29. months, with 98.1% completing >--1 follow-up interview. A recruitment and retention plan that maximized study staff access and availability to the participant, as well as strong study staff rapport with participants, addressed previously reported barriers in this population, optimizing follow-up rates. A qualitative assessment of the participants' study experience suggesting that high retention was due to strong rapport with participants, short interviews requiring little time commitment, and participants' perception of the study as informative, provides further evidence of our approach's effectiveness.Logistical protocol procedures and staff management strategies relating to successful recruitment/retention are provided to propose a practical, cost-effective and translational recruitment-retention plan for other researchers to adopt.
KW - Breastfeeding
KW - Low-income
KW - Minority
KW - Recruitment
KW - Retention
KW - Staff effort
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U2 - 10.1016/j.cct.2012.06.005
DO - 10.1016/j.cct.2012.06.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 22732312
AN - SCOPUS:84864301939
SN - 1551-7144
VL - 33
SP - 925
EP - 932
JO - Contemporary Clinical Trials
JF - Contemporary Clinical Trials
IS - 5
ER -