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Integrate Special Populations
Consider how to make research findings more applicable to all.
- Wisconsin Network for Research Support (WINRS). A UW School of Nursing program that provides fee-for-service consultations on developing strategies to recruit research participants from under-served populations.
- Community Advisors on Research Design and Strategies (CARDS®). CARDS® is a group of Dane County residents from diverse racial, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds. They advise researchers on how to effectively recruit study participants by improving recruitment materials, research documents and more.
- Building Trust Between Minorities and Researchers Project. The goal of this National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded initiative is to create training and educational programs designed to increase the participation of minorities in public health and biomedical research. Among the sites many resources, the “Becoming a Self-Reflective Researcher” curriculum is designed to strengthen the capacity of researchers to effectively recruit and retain minority participants.
Develop a Recruitment Plan
Successful recruitment begins with a thorough recruitment plan.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) Recruitment and Retention Toolkit. Webinars, guides, templates, and resources to help investigators throughout the entire lifecycle of their projects from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Trial Innovation Network.
- Points to Consider. Suggestions for researchers to improve strategies for recruitment to clinical research from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Assess Feasibility with Informatics Tools
Assessing feasibility during the study design phase is critical. Cohort identification tools assist researchers in determining the number of patients matching key study criteria.
- i2b2 Cohort Discovery Tool. This self-service tool allows researchers to determine the approximate number of patients within the UW Health enterprise data warehouse who meet eligibility criteria. i2b2 does not provide any patient identifiers or additional clinical data.
- Clinical Research Data Services (CRDS). The CRDS team assists investigators with developing queries and securely delivering both de-identified data and patient-specific data from the UW Health Enterprise Data Warehouse. CRDS can be used to assess feasibility when cohort criteria are too complex for i2b2 or identify potential participants when a study is open to accrual.
Compensate Participants
Appropriate compensation is a major component of successful recruitment.
- UW Health Sciences IRB Participant Remuneration & Compensation Guidelines. Guidelines for providing appropriate compensation to avoid inequitable selection of participants or undue inducement.
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Information Sheet. FDA’s current thoughts on payment and reimbursement to research participants.
Create Effective Recruitment Materials
Guidelines and best practices for effective recruitment before submitting your materials for IRB review.
- UW Health Sciences IRB Guidance
- Image and Logo Resources
- Templates (coming soon!)
Use Social Media
Understand guidelines and methods for recruiting using Facebook and other social platforms.
- UW Health Science IRB Social Media Recruitment Guidelines
- Does Social Media Recruitment Make Sense for your Trial?. Useful information from Trialfacts about the kinds of studies that social media advertising may work
- Facebook Ad Policies. Guidance on Facebook advertisements including the review process and prohibited content