What should I consider when designing my recruitment plan? 

  • Conceptually, your recruitment plan will need to be non-coercive, voluntary, and respectful.
  • Logistically, think through: when, where, and how you will approach potential participants. Consider if your recruitment site location is appropriate – both in terms of logistics as well as whether or not the potential participant would have enough time and capacity to participate. 
  • To make sure that participants have all the information they need to decide whether or not to participate, make sure that the approach occurs in an appropriate setting: consider where potential participants are at the time that they might consent to participate in your study. Do patients have the medical decision making capacity to process the opportunity fully and provide fully informed consent?
    • Ex: it would not be appropriate to attempt to recruit or consent a patient if they were in acute and overwhelming pain or impaired.
  • The IRB must approve all recruitment materials, such as scripts, emails, or printed/electronic materials used to recruit participants.
    • Pro Tip: be sure to use plain and clear language when communicating with a potential participant during the recruitment and consenting process. A great resource can be this glossary that allows you to look up lay language for medical terms.
    • Pro Tip: upon IRB approval, the Research Department can assist you in translating your study documents into Spanish.
  • Consider whether the time burden is reasonable for a potential participant and whether you will offer compensation. If you plan to offer compensation, it should be proportionate to the commitment, and you will need approval from the ADGME for study funding.

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