Clinical trial recruitment and retention of a vulnerable population: HIV patients with chronic diarrhea

Abstract

This article describes the recruitment and retention strategies implemented for a prospective, randomized, clinical trial conducted at a single study facility. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a nutritional intervention to reduce the episodes of diarrhea in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome. This article reviews the challenges faced by the research team during the conduct of the study and discusses the approaches implemented to reduce the barriers to study participation.