Remote Recruitment and Data Collection and Its Effect on Demographics and Outcome Variable Scores

BACKGROUND: Technology continues to push different aspects of research forward, including new recruitment methods and updated data collection/management. More and more, researchers are beginning to use social media as a valid recruitment method. Studies are also moving toward more remote methods of consenting research subjects and data collection. Several studies were found to use only online recruitment methods and many showed that Facebook was an effective method [1]. With this shift toward more remote and more technologically advanced research, it is important to explore whether increasingly adding technology to research studies shifts the study population in a way that impacts outcome measures. Based on previous research, studies with mainly remote modes of recruitment and data collection have a younger, more educated and less diverse population [2] [3] [4]. HYPOTHESIS: (1) By relying on technology and fewer interpersonal interactions, the demographics of the study population will shift toward younger participants, increased employment status, higher education level, fewer minority participants, and gender will shift to a more even balance of males to females. (2) Changes in the population demographics that are driven by technology will also increase the SPADE cluster score (Sleep disturbance, pain, anxiety, depression, and low energy/fatigue). Specific Aims for both Hypothesis I and II include; (1)To examine the demographics of the study population and outcome variable scores when looking at technology-focused recruitment methods implemented at different points in the study. (2) To examine the difference in demographics and outcome variable scores when looking at effects of the recruitment method alone (without the time of enrollment consideration). METHODS: Survey data from the baseline visit of 583 subjects in the PRECISON Pain Research Registry were used. The subjects were divided into groups based on changes in recruitment methods over the course of the study to evaluate how changes in primary recruitment methods may have shifted the population. The same 583 subjects were also divided into two groups: traditional methods and online methods to evaluate the effect of recruitment methods alone on the population. Demographics and the SPADE score outcome variables were analyzed using chi-squared and t-test analysis to see if there was a significant change between the groups. RESULTS: For Aim 1, there were no statistically significant changes in the population demographics or the SPADE outcome measures with the only exception being gender. For gender, the proportion of females has significantly increased as the reliance on digital methods, such as online newsletters and social media, has increased. For Aim 2, comparing enrolled subjects who were recruited through traditional methods such as flyers in clinics and the community to subjects who were recruited through online vehicles regardless of when they enrolled in the study, there was a significant difference in every demographic except ethnicity. The online group showed a significantly younger, more educated, and less diverse population. DISCUSSION: Hypothesis I was not supported by Aim 1 but was supported by Aim 2. This means that over the course of the study time the population has not changed dramatically, possibly because a mix of traditional and online recruitment methods is still being used. However, the population that was recruited using online methods was significantly different than the population recruited through traditional methods. It is important to keep this in mind as the study moves forward. Hypothesis II was not supported by either aim. Aim 1 showed minimal changes and Aim 2 showed a trend rejecting this hypothesis. Currently, there is no data to support that technological advances would have an increase the outcome variable scores.