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. 2023 Jan 6;192(1):11-24.
doi: 10.1093/aje/kwac169.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the All of Us Research Program

Sarra L Hedden, James McClain, Allison Mandich, Rubin Baskir, Mark S Caulder, Joshua C Denny, Michelle R J Hamlet, Irene Prabhu Das, Nicole McNeil Ford, Maria Lopez-Class, Ahmed Elmi, Roshedah Wallace, Amantha Linkie, Holly A Garriock

The Impact of COVID-19 on the All of Us Research Program

Sarra L Hedden et al. Am J Epidemiol. .

Abstract

The All of Us Research Program, a health and genetics epidemiologic data collection program, has been substantially affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although the program is highly digital in nature, certain aspects of the data collection require in-person interaction between staff and participants. Before the pandemic, the program was enrolling approximately 12,500 participants per month at more than 400 clinical sites. In March 2020, because of the pandemic, all in-person activity at program sites and by engagement partners was paused to develop processes and procedures for in-person activities that incorporated strict safety protocols. In addition, the program adopted new data collection methodologies to reduce the need for in-person activities. Through February 2022, a total of 224 clinical sites had reactivated in-person activity, and all enrollment and engagement partners have adopted new data collection methods that can be used remotely. As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, the program continues to require safety procedures for in-person activity and continues to generate and pilot methodologies that reduce risk and make it easier for participants to provide information.

Keywords: biospecimen collection; coronavirus disease 2019; epidemiologic methods; operations; research; surveys.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trajectory of state-level coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk categories over time, All of Us Research Program, 2017–2022.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Section of the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program staff checklist for review of safety protocols within post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reactivation plans, All of Us Research Program, 2017–2022. CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FDA, Food and Drug Administration.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Timeline for post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reactivation of program activities, All of Us Research Program, 2017–2022.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Numbers of clinical sites open for in-person activity during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, All of Us Research Program, 2017–2022.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Monthly enrollment and retention of program participants before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, All of Us Research Program, 2017–2022.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Lessons learned by the All of Us Research Program staff during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, 2017–2022. CATI, computer-assisted telephone interviewing.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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