Recruitment of emergency department patients to a prospective observational study

The dynamic environment of the emergency department (ED) poses unique challenges to the execution of well-designed research. There is limited investigation into the viability of studies conducted in the ED. This paper offers a systematic evaluation of our recruitment of emergency patients for a prospective observational research study, shedding light on the intricate landscape of research feasibility within the ED setting.

Research coordinators dedicated 2816.83 h to screening, recruiting, and enrolling patients between June 2018 and September 2023, having to stop recruitment twice due to financial constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic. 485 patients were approached and 84 of them were enrolled, resulting in a 31.94% enrollment rate, with approximately 2.8 participants recruited per month. Of those enrolled, 77 completed all study endpoints. Most participants were Hispanic (n = 44; 52.3%) and/or Black (n = 37; 44%), middle-aged (µ = 51.7 years), and female (n = 48; 57.1%). Participant recruitment was challenged by competing mindsets, the COVID-19 pandemic, and high staff turnover.

Recruiting emergency patients for a prospective observational study is feasible given adequate staffing and financial resources. Standardizing feasibility assessments for the recruitment of patients in the emergency department is important to the success of future study.