Management strategies for implementing a multicenter cross-sectional study: lessons from the ADHERE Brazil study

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Epidemiology
• Clinical Research Logistics

Background:

• Large-scale epidemiological studies face significant financial and operational hurdles.
• The ADHERE Brazil study aimed to address these challenges in kidney transplant research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the planning and execution of the ADHERE Brazil study.
• To detail the study's structure, challenges encountered, and solutions implemented.
• To estimate the prevalence of nonadherence to treatment in kidney transplant patients.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, multicenter study involving 1,105 kidney transplant patients across 20 Brazilian centers.
• Implementation involved coordinated efforts in general, regulatory, data collection, and statistical areas.
• Innovations in logistics were employed for efficient data collection and quality monitoring.

Main Results:

• High-quality data were successfully collected through meticulous planning and execution.
• A robust local research infrastructure was established for subsequent studies.
• Effective communication strategies and data management systems were crucial.

Conclusions:

• The logistical framework developed for ADHERE Brazil provides a model for conducting similar large-scale epidemiological studies.
• The study successfully collected valuable data and built research capacity.
• Alternative strategies for managing complex research projects are presented.