This is a study of the feasibility of implementing a modified recruitment approach, the Better Research Interactions for Every Family (BRIEF) Intervention, within a neonatal clinical trial. This intervention has two distinct aims: 1) improve the experience for parents asked to enroll their infant in a neonatal clinical trial; and 2) decrease disparities in enrollment within a neonatal clinical trial. The investigators will apply the BRIEF within a single site neonatal RCT, the Darbe plus IV Iron (DIVI) study, using a pre/post approach. The intervention will be implemented approximately halfway through recruitment for the DIVI study. The objectives of this study are to assess feasibility, gain preliminary experience to drive further refinement, and provide effect estimates for a future RCT of the BRIEF intervention.
The BRIEF Intervention will test the hypothesis that an evidence-based, researcher-facing educational module will improve the enrollment process for eligible families and increase diversity of populations enrolled in research. These in turn will improve the generalizability of neonatal clinical trials. The BRIEF Intervention is an educational module based on data about how research teams can approach families about research in a more equitable and respectful manner. The intervention will be implemented approximately halfway through DIVI study recruitment. The BRIEF team will measure outcomes, comparing before versus after the BRIEF Intervention is implemented, across three groups of participants: 1. Neonates eligible for participation in the DIVI study, identified through the records of the DIVI team. Research activities for this group are limited to extraction of targeted demographic and clinical data from the medical record by the BRIEF study team. 2. Parents/legally authorized representatives (LARs) of infants approached for the DIVI study who will be invited to take a survey about their experience being approached for the DIVI study, including questions about perceived respect and a validated scale to measure trust in medical researchers. Those who enroll in DIVI as well as those who decline to enroll in DIVI will be eligible to take the survey. The survey will also give them an opportunity to opt in to potentially be contacted for an interview, in which they will be asked open-ended questions about their experience being approached for the DIVI study. 3. DIVI study team members involved in recruitment. At or near the start of the DIVI study, the BRIEF team will obtain a list of contact information for each member of the DIVI team who will be involved in recruitment. The BRIEF team will contact each person individually to review and sign the BRIEF study consent form. The DIVI team will be asked to participate in the BRIEF educational module, which includes asynchronous and synchronous components, complete brief self-assessments of their consent discussions with families both before and after the intervention, and audio-record a subset of DIVI consent discussions so that the BRIEF team can assess fidelity to intervention components.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
138
The BRIEF Educational Module for research recruitment team members is intended to teach evidence-based approaches to improving participant experiences with research recruitment. It has three components: (1) asynchronous pre-work, including multimedia materials and an individual worksheet (approx. 30 min); (2) one synchronous in-person (or virtual if necessary) session, including didactics, discussions, and practice scenarios (approx. 90 min); and (3) an asynchronous, individual follow-up phone call to review individual questions (approx. 15 min).
University of Washington Medical Center
Seattle, Washington, United States
Study Enrollment Rates
The BRIEF team will compare DIVI enrollment rates for the Neonate group before vs. after implementation of the BRIEF intervention.
Time frame: Control Arm was assessed from baseline to the date of the intervention (pre-intervention) and the BRIEF Arm was assessed post-intervention to study completion (post-intervention), estimated at 14 months total (October 2022-December 2023).
Patient Trust in Research
The BRIEF team will compare parent/LAR-reported trust in research before vs. after implementation of the BRIEF intervention, using the validated 4-Item Trust in Medical Researchers scale described in Hall et al. 2008. Each item is scored on a 1-5 scale for a maximum score of 20 and a minimum score of 4, with higher scores indicating more trust. Scores are then indexed to a scale of 0-100, again with a higher rating indicating greater levels of trust.
Time frame: Control Arm was assessed at baseline (pre-intervention) and the BRIEF Arm was assessed at study completion (post-intervention), estimated at 14 months (October 2022-December 2023).
Change in Patient Experiences of Respect During Research Recruitment
The BRIEF team will compare parent/LAR-reported experiences of being treated with respect during research recruitment before vs. after implementation of the BRIEF intervention. There is no relevant validated measure so this outcome will be measured using team-developed survey questions. Questions are measured on a Likert Scale, each item is scored on a 1-5 scale , with higher scores indicating greater perception of respect.
Time frame: Control Arm was assessed at baseline (pre-intervention) and the BRIEF Arm was assessed at study completion (post-intervention), estimated at 14 months (October 2022-December 2023).
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.