Recruiting Diverse Caregivers for an Online Platform
Author Information
Author(s): Webster Melinda, Kales Helen, Parker Lauren, Scerpella Daniel, Marx Katherine, Bouranis Nicole, Gitlin Laura
Hypothesis
Can a national recruitment strategy effectively enroll diverse caregivers to test an online platform for managing behavioral symptoms in dementia?
Conclusion
The study found that while registries were the most effective source for overall enrollment, personal contact through articles and professional talks was better for enrolling racially diverse caregivers.
Supporting Evidence
- 40 recruitment sources were pursued, yielding 892 inquiries.
- 262 caregivers were enrolled, representing a 29.3% enrollment rate.
- Registries yielded the most study participants with 112 enrolled.
- Personal contact through articles/professional talks was more effective for enrolling racially diverse caregivers.
Takeaway
The researchers wanted to find a lot of different caregivers to help test a new online tool for managing dementia symptoms, and they learned that different ways of reaching out worked better for different types of caregivers.
Methodology
The study used 40 different recruitment sources over two years to enroll caregivers in a trial.
Limitations
The study faced challenges in national recruitment due to a lack of best practices and reliance on local resources.
Participant Demographics
Enrolled participants resided in 36 states, representing all 10 Department of Health & Human Services regions of the US.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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