Outlook: Newsletter of the Society of Behavorial Medicine

Summer 2024

Outlook main page »

Recruitment of Diverse Populations into Research: Blending the Old and the New

Saqib Rabbani, PhD1; Lihong Ou, PhD2; Imani Canton, PhD3; Susan Andreae, PhD4; Robert L. Newton, Jr., PhD5. - Health Equity SIG

Minoritized populations have been underrepresented in research, limiting generalizability and perpetuating health disparities. Recruitment barriers include lack of trust due to the exploitation of marginalized populations within research, limited knowledge of research opportunities, and study demands, among others. Herein, traditional and contemporary strategies to effectively recruit minority populations are provided.

Community-based

Building rapport with the community is foundational to successful recruitment. Trust-building involves maintaining a consistent presence in the community, transparent communication, identifying and building on existing community assets, and forming authentic partnerships with local leaders and organizations 1,2. Respecting cultural values and addressing community-specific concerns helps foster a sense of ownership and collaboration 1,3. Building rapport takes time, so these strategies should be utilized well in advance of study recruitment.

Equally essential are community engagement strategies. These include organizing and participating in local events, attending cultural holiday or heritage month celebrations, collaborating with community-based organizations, and employing community health workers as liaisons 4. Engaging community members in the research design ensures that their voices are heard and their needs are met. Additionally, developing culturally tailored educational materials and outreach programs enhances understanding and interest 5. Program planning must include sufficient resources and time to meaningfully engage in these activities. 

Technology-driven

Leveraging technology is pivotal for recruiting diverse participants in the contemporary landscape. Digital approaches enable researchers to overcome traditional obstacles, reach a wider audience, and facilitate easy enrollment.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn allow researchers to target specific demographics. Tailored advertisements and interactive posts can effectively engage diverse groups. Additionally, social media fosters community building, which helps establish trust and motivates participation 6.

Websites dedicated to research recruitment serve as central repositories for information and participant registration. These sites can be optimized for accessibility, including features for individuals with disabilities and multilingual support. Employing search engine optimization techniques can attract a diverse visitor base 7.

Mobile applications can deliver notifications about new studies, monitor engagement, and collect data remotely. This method is particularly effective for engaging younger demographics and underserved communities 8.

Emails allow personalized and targeted information to be disseminated rapidly. They can be deployed as a broad campaign or to select individuals as part of a Listserv. Crafting compelling subject lines and content can be used to capture interest 9.

Virtual events, including webinars and online focus groups, provide direct interaction with potential participants. These events can cater to the specific needs of communities, creating an inclusive atmosphere where participants feel valued 10.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are transforming recruitment by analyzing data to identify and predict potential participants. AI tools can automate outreach, customize messages, and adjust strategies based on real-time feedback, enhancing recruitment efficiency 11.

These strategies are not without their challenges. Community-based strategies are time and labor intensive. Technology-driven strategies may have limited reach to those without access to, or those who don’t utilize, technology. However, the utilization of both strategies can help researchers overcome barriers, leading to studies that are inclusive and representative of diverse populations.

Affiliations

  1. Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
  2. Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Edson College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation, Arizona State University
  3. Graduate Student, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  4. Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  5. Professor, Population and Public Health, Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Resources

  1. Henderson C, Scott T, Schinder B, et al. Shifting the Paradigm From Participant Mistrust to Researcher & Institutional Trustworthiness: A Qualitative Study of Researchers' Perspectives on Building Trustworthiness With Black Communities. Community Health Equity Res Policy. Jan 2024;44(2):127-136. doi:10.1177/0272684x221117710
  2. Kandasamy S, Chabrotra R, Khan Z, et al. Engaging Participants Through Hybrid Community-Centered Approaches: Lessons Learned During the COVID CommUNITY Public Health Research Program. Health Promot Pract. Jan 5 2024:15248399231221161. doi:10.1177/15248399231221161
  3. Diallo AF, Mackiewicz M, Sargent L, et al. Cultivating Relationships as a Community-Based Recruitment Strategy in Transdisciplinary Aging Research: Lessons From an Academic-Community Partnership. Fam Community Health. Jan-Mar 01 2024;47(1):32-40. doi:10.1097/fch.0000000000000383
  4. Mensah GA, Johnson LE. Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL): Leveraging the Power of Communities During Public Health Emergencies. Am J Public Health. Jan 2024;114(S1):S18-s21. doi:10.2105/ajph.2023.307507
  5. Webb FJ, Bilello L, Vaccaro J, Jones R, Neff D, Gaillard T. Community engagement strategies for population health research with culturally diverse adults. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health. 2024/04/01/ 2024;2:100037. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2023.100037
  6. Vega IE, Ajrouch KJ, Rorai V, Gadwa R, Roberts JS, Nyquist L. Engaging diverse populations in aging research during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from four National Institutes of Health funded-Centers. Front Public Health. 2023;11:1062385. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1062385
  7. Frandsen M, Walters J, Ferguson SG. Exploring the viability of using online social media advertising as a recruitment method for smoking cessation clinical trials. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. Feb 2014;16(2):247-51. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntt157
  8. Manta C, Patrick-Lake B, Goldsack JC. Digital Measures That Matter to Patients: A Framework to Guide the Selection and Development of Digital Measures of Health. Digit Biomark. Sep-Dec 2020;4(3):69-77. doi:10.1159/000509725
  9. 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. Nov 4 2020;22(11):e22179. doi:10.2196/22179
  10. Graffigna G, Barello S. Spotlight on the Patient Health Engagement model (PHE model): a psychosocial theory to understand people's meaningful engagement in their own health care. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2018;12:1261-1271. doi:10.2147/ppa.S145646
  11. Hutson M. How AI is being used to accelerate clinical trials. Nature. Mar 2024;627(8003):S2-s5. doi:10.1038/d41586-024-00753-x