Description and toolkit for a research participant referral service

Area of Science:

• Clinical research
• Health systems management
• Patient engagement

Background:

• Effective participant recruitment and retention are crucial for clinical research success.
• Patient engagement in research studies remains low, even within academic health systems.
• Increased awareness of research opportunities and facilitated connections are needed to improve research program outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the creation, evolution, and tools of the My Research Partners Concierge Service (MRPcs) at an academic health system.
• To establish a centralized hub connecting patients, community members, research organizations, and academic partners with research interests.
• To facilitate connections between service users and relevant clinical research study teams, personnel, or resources.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of a centralized concierge service (MRPcs).
• Provision of a single point of contact for diverse stakeholders with research-related inquiries.
• Facilitation of connections to appropriate research study teams and resources.

Main Results:

• The MRPcs serves as a central hub for research-related inquiries and interests.
• The service successfully connects users with relevant clinical research study teams and resources.
• The initiative aims to increase awareness of and participation in clinical research.

Conclusions:

• The MRPcs model demonstrates a viable approach to enhancing clinical research engagement.
• Academic health systems should consider establishing similar research service hubs.
• Such hubs can improve public awareness, participation, and the overall success of research programs in improving population health.