Recruitment challenges and strategies in a home-based telehealth study.
The difficulty in recruiting subjects for home-based telehealth research is well documented. This article shares the recruitment statistics and experiences in the Assessment of Caregivers for Team Intervention via Videophone Encounters pilot study, a home-based telehealth intervention. The study obtained 83% of the desired sample. Challenges included issues with initial inclusion criteria, weather-related problems, timely referrals and follow-up, the enrollment process, the need for multiple visits, and unforeseen cases of multiple caregivers. Detailed monitoring and tracking of recruitment statistics and immediate response to overcome challenges were critical to the eventual recruitment success. Strategies included the reallocation of resources to add a second research site, adjustments in inclusion criteria, process improvement with the hospice admissions process, and strategies to address staff gate-keeping. Recruitment continues to be an important barrier to home-based telehealth research and the sharing of recruitment statistics, challenges, and strategies can be beneficial. Gathering of recruitment data is a critical component of pilot studies, which assists in the development of successful randomized clinical trials for future home-based telehealth research.
Parker Oliver
Debra
D
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212, USA. oliverdr@missouri.edu
Demiris
George
G
Wittenberg-Lyles
Elaine
E
Washington
Karla
K
Porock
Davina
D
D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D012107:Research Design; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*
Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2010 Nov;27(7):465-73
20299692
Oncol Nurs Forum. 2003 Jan-Feb;30(1):123-9
12515990
J Palliat Med. 2005 Aug;8(4):730-5
16128646
Palliat Med. 2009 Sep;23(6):549-55
19443524
Telemed J E Health. 2006 Oct;12(5):601-7
17042714
Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2010 Nov;19(6):729-35
19832889
Telemed J E Health. 2004 Summer;10(2):155-61
15319045
Telemed J E Health. 2007 Feb;13(1):25-31
17309351