Helpful strategies to increase recruitment and retention

Worries about reaching recruitment goals within studies is common across researchers. Failure to meet recruitment goals accounts for a large percentage of why many randomized control trials are discontinued. When this happens, valuable research can be missed. To combat this, within his recent studies, Dr. Teo has taken special note to experiment with strategies to enhance recruitment.

Notably, one study that Dr. Teo is conducting currently is an adaptation of  Caring Contacts, an evidence-based suicide intervention. Dr Teo’s adapted version includes components of peer support for veterans who have dropped out of VA healthcare. To ensure successful recruitment, the recruitment team has utilized several strategies aimed at increasing both recruitment and retention numbers.

In Dr. Teo’s current study, recruitment was found to be most successful when a combination of emails, text messages, phone calls and postal mail was used. Potential participants were contacted first via email and then text message, snail mail was only used when the first two methods did not yield any results. Finally, phone calls were made to those who did not respond to any of the above methods. Through utilizing multiple methods of outreach, the recruitment team was able to accommodate and reach more individuals.

For email, text message and phone call outreach, the recruitment team noted a series of well-spaced-out reminders were helpful in gently encouraging participation. For both emails and text messages, reminder messages were scheduled two days after the initial outreach. For phone calls, potential participants received a maximum number of three phone calls to serve as reminders, which were spaced out over 2-3 days.

In addition to using multiple methods for the first outreach with potential participants, this strategy was also used to encourage survey completion rates. For those who partially completed recruitment screeners or surveys, potential participants received follow up outreach three times over follow up email, text message or phone calls. During the consent process individuals were asked their preferred modality of getting future surveys. A maximum of three outreach attempts would be performed before reminders for potential participants so as not to overwhelm the participants.   

Finally, the content of the emails and text messages were also carefully crafted aimed at increasing recruitment. The content included important highlights like the amount of time needed to complete the survey, reminder of the incentive, survey time point, and language framed as the research being helpful towards other people. Additionally, to establish legitimacy, prenotification emails were sent out before official recruitment emails and a photo of the team and a link to the PI’s website was included.

Dr. Teo’s study has seen success with these strategies, with interim results showing the study reaching 812 enrollments four months before the projected recruitment end date. Additionally, the study currently has an 85% retention rate for 3-month surveys, 84% for 6-month and 81% for 12-month surveys. These high recruitment and retention rates have been hard earned by the different strategies utilized in this study. Successful recruitment is crucial in the testing and implementation of science and Dr. Teo is hopeful these different methods of recruitment can be helpful to others.