[Recruitment of pediatric practices for an intervention study: strategies, implementation, and insights from the...

Recruiting healthcare facilities for intervention studies is a well-documented challenge, yet evidence on effective strategies remains limited. To strengthen this evidence base, we report and discuss the recruitment approach applied in the Intervention Study to Increase HPV Vaccination Coverage in Germany (InveSt HPV).

Pediatric practices in Bremen and selected districts in Bavaria were contacted by mail and through the German Professional Association of Pediatricians (BVKJ). Each participant received incentives of up to € 200.

In Bremen, 14 of 39 practices (35.9%) and in Bavaria 25 of 100 practices (25.0%) agreed to participate, resulting in an overall recruitment rate of 28.1%. Within participating practices, engagement exceeded 90% among both physicians and non-physician staff. The most frequently reported recruitment channels at registration were personal and written communication via the BVKJ. Reported motivations for participation included contributing to improved vaccination coverage, interest in the training sessions, and financial incentives. Telephone follow-up calls generated very few additional registrations despite considerable effort. For inquiries, practices preferred direct contact options over fixed consultation hours.

The experiences from InveSt HPV indicate that leveraging existing professional networks in combination with incentives commensurate with the required time investment facilitates the recruitment of pediatric practices. In addition, a recruitment period scheduled outside the infection season and school holidays, as well as the early planning of supplementary measures in case recruitment proves unsuccessful, appear to be essential.