Dataset Information

Patient-initiated recruitment for clinical research: Evaluation of an outpatient letter research statement.

ABSTRACT:

Background

UK Hospital Trusts are charged with increasing patients' research awareness and willingness to take part in research. This includes implementing strategies to encourage patient-initiated enquiries about participation.

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of a research statement inserted in outpatient letters in one clinical service, and to derive suggestions on potential steps towards increasing patient-initiated recruitment.

Setting

A medical outpatient clinic of a research-active hospital trust, serving an inner-city multi-ethnic population across two boroughs.

Methods

Pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaires were administered face-to-face to new patients. Questionnaires included closed questions and one open comments section. Data were analysed for frequencies, with thematic coding of open-ended responses.

Results

The response rates were 87% for the pre-intervention survey and 92% for the post-intervention survey. In the post-intervention survey, 85% of patients did not notice the research statement in the letter. More than half found the statement "a little unclear," whilst one-third considered it "clear." Three-quarters of respondents perceived the statement to be "a little helpful." Only one person enquired about participating in clinical research having read the statement in the outpatient letter.

Conclusion

The analysis suggests that simple, single-solution approaches such as including research statements in outpatient letters are unlikely to be sufficient to significantly facilitate patient-initiated recruitment. Recruitment efforts need to take into consideration the diversity of patient constituencies including the reasons they seek health care, and how patients can meaningfully access information (research literacy).

SUBMITTER: Wienroth M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5867329 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Patient-initiated recruitment for clinical research: Evaluation of an outpatient letter research statement.

Wienroth Matthias M Caffrey Louise L Wolfe Charles C McKevitt Christopher C

Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy 20171122 2

<h4>Background</h4>UK Hospital Trusts are charged with increasing patients' research awareness and willingness to take part in research. This includes implementing strategies to encourage patient-initiated enquiries about participation.<h4>Objectives</h4>To evaluate the impact of a research statement inserted in outpatient letters in one clinical service, and to derive suggestions on potential steps towards increasing patient-initiated recruitment.<h4>Setting</h4>A medical outpatient clinic of a ...[more]

PMID: 29164743

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Dataset Information

Patient-initiated recruitment for clinical research: Evaluation of an outpatient letter research statement.

Background

Objectives

Setting

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Patient-initiated recruitment for clinical research: Evaluation of an outpatient letter research statement.

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