title: Recruitment of South Asians into asthma research: qualitative study of UK and US researchers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is increasing international concern about the persistent under-representation of ethnic minority patients in research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to explore strategies being employed by US and UK researchers when attempting to recruit minority ethnic participants into research with a view to increasing participation by South Asians in UK asthma research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative interviews with 36 asthma-interested researchers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Key themes were: the need to build long-term trusting relationships; ensuring that the procedures and practices used were respectful; paying attention to logistic considerations with respect to funding, the location of the research and taking proactive steps to overcome language-related barriers; and the importance of effective dissemination of results to, amongst others, the minority ethnic groups under study. The use of financial incentives or "co-payments" was reported as being a successfully-employed strategy in the US context, which could be considered for use in the UK.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for funders and researchers to take proactive steps to develop longer-term relationships built on trust and respect with the populations they wish to study. Attention to the location of research, language considerations, financial reimbursement and appropriate dissemination of results are all likely to translate into improved recruitment of these "hard-to-reach" populations.
authors.affiliation: Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stirland
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Halani
authors.forename: Bhopal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.forename: Gopalakrishnan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Netuveli
authors.forename: Martyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Partridge
authors.forename: Josip
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Car
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheikh
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D001249:Asthma; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012108:Research Personnel; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States