Optimizing Recruitment Strategies and Physician Engagement for Stroke Recovery Research

Abstract

Background and purpose: A major challenge for stroke rehabilitation and recovery research is the recruitment and retention of participants. Our prior challenges and successes have influenced our team to rethink our approach and the potential for large-scale stroke recruitment.

Summary of key points: In this special interest article, we highlight how the adoption and implementation of recruitment strategies such as physician engagement and a streamlined "customer service" approach helped us improve our enrollment and maximize efficiency. Another positive outcome of enrollment was increased representation of those who identify as underrepresented minority or live in rural areas.

Recommendations for clinical practice: Rethinking our recruitment processes and infrastructure allowed for greater interprofessional interactions, minimal burden for our stroke physician team members, and maximized enrollment into our stroke studies.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A324).

Figure 1:

Recruitment Strategy Flow Chart

Figure 2:

Kansas City Metropolitan and Rural Counties Recruitment Map This figure depicts the large and diverse catchment area for our recent study. The light-grey shaded state-wide areas are rural counties. The larger circle denotes a 200km radius from the study site. The smaller, inner circle denotes a 50km radius from the study site, which is highly urban and suburban. Points are located in arbitrary locations, equidistant to the study site to protect confidentiality. Point size represents the number of individuals recruited from a region. Our recruitment approach has yielded participants from both the urban core and rural areas distant from the research site.