Revising Recruitment for Focus Groups to Meet Shifting Needs During COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Qualitative Research Methods
• Public Health
• Oncology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional in-person recruitment for qualitative studies.
• Researchers rapidly transitioned from in-person to online recruitment strategies.
• This shift presented unexpected challenges but allowed for meeting accrual goals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore novel recruitment strategies developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To offer recommendations for future online-based qualitative studies.
• To adapt existing recruitment methods for an online environment.

Main Methods:

• Adapted four pre-pandemic recruitment strategies: research registry, marketing material, social media, and provider endorsement.
• Implemented an incremental process for adapting strategies post-onset of COVID-19.
• Recruited young women breast cancer survivors for focus groups in a qualitative, descriptive study.

Main Results:

• Successfully adapted all four initial recruitment strategies for online recruitment.
• A total of 62 young women completed the initial data collection phase.
• Marketing material and social media were the most effective recruitment methods, with 33 participants completing focus groups.

Conclusions:

• Strategic use of marketing material and social media is highly effective for online participant recruitment.
• Recommendations include utilizing diverse social media platforms, targeted hashtags, and defining the sample population early.
• Researchers should consider permanent online recruitment strategies to adapt to the evolving research landscape.