JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Participant recruitment poses challenges in psycho-oncological intervention (POI) research, such as psycho-oncological online intervention studies. Strict consecutive recruitment in clinical settings provides important methodological benefits, but is often associated with low response rates and reduced practicability and ecological validity. On top of pre-existing recruitment barriers, the protective measures due to the COVID-19-pandemic restricted recruitment activities in the clinical setting since March 2020.

Objective:

The aim of the study is to outline the recruitment strategy for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the psycho-oncological online self-help epos, which combined traditional with online recruitment.

Methods:

We developed a combined recruitment strategy including traditional (e.g. recruitment in clinics, medical practices, cancer counseling centers, newspaper) and online recruitment (Instagram and Facebook, webpages). Recruitment took place from May 2020 to September 2021. Eligible were adult cancer patients with any cancer type, currently in treatment or after care, provided they had sufficient German language skills and a device suitable for web-based interventions (e.g. laptop, computer).

Results:

We analyze data from N=304 participants who were enrolled in a 17-month recruitment period via various recruitment strategies. With equal proportions (49.7% vs. 50.3%) for online and traditional recruitment, both recruitment strategies have led to comparable numbers of participants. However, online recruitment was notably more time and resource efficient in terms of registration numbers. Regardless of the recruitment strategy, the total sample was not representative in socio-demographic characteristics. However, among online recruited study participants, the proportion of women was even higher, mean age was lower, reported private Internet usage and number of those who were currently under treatment was higher. Other demographic and medical characteristics revealed no significant differences. The large majority of participants registered self-referred (80%), instead of having followed a recommendation or study invitation of a health care professional.

Conclusions:

The combined recruitment strategy helped overcoming general and COVID-19-specific recruitment barriers and ensured to achieve the targeted participant number. Social media recruitment was the most efficient individual recruitment strategy for participant enrollment. Differences in some demographic and medical characteristics emerged and should be considered in further analyses. Challenges, lessons learned, and implications using social media in participant recruitment in POI research are discussed. Clinical Trial: Deutsches Register klinischer Studien (German Clinical Trials Register), Registration number: DRKS00021144