Overview
The CONNECT: "Developing a learning COmmunity to increase eNgagemeNt and Enrollment in cardiovascular Clinical Trials" is comprehensive, participant-centered learning community that provides tailored education on cardiovascular (CV) health and research participation; connects community members to CV-related research; and disseminates CV-related study findings. The overreaching goal of CONNECT is to improve participation of underrepresented communities in CV research, including as women, Black adults, and Latino adults, through increasing participants' clinical trial awareness, trust in biomedical research, and willingness to participate in clinical trials. CONNECT will use digital and community-engaged approaches to identify and recruit 1000 adults with cardiovascular disease or a cardiovascular disease risk factor to join CONNECT. Participants who join CONNECT will receive tailored educational information on CV health and research participation via text message. Participants will also have the opportunity to be matched to ongoing CV research studies based on basic demographic information and areas of interest. The educational information will be sent to participants for 12 months. The investigators hypothesize that CONNECT will increase participants' clinical trial awareness, trust, and willingness to participate in clinical trials and that the proportion of Black and Latin adults and women enrolled in trials that partner with CONNECT will be higher following the use of CONNECT for recruitment.
Description
The CONNECT project, titled "Developing a learning COmmunity to increase eNgagemeNt and Enrollment in cardiovascular Clinical Trials," seeks to establish an online learning community aimed at promoting cardiovascular (CV) wellness and fostering inclusive participation in CV clinical trials and research. It encompasses three primary objectives: raising awareness about CV health and research, increasing participation in CV health research studies, and identifying best practices for CV research recruitment and engagement, particularly among underrepresented communities such as women, Black adults, and Latino adults.
A multi-method recruitment campaign will be implemented, utilizing both electronic health record (EHR)-informed and community-based strategies. These recruitment methods will undergo rigorous evaluation to identify the most effective practices for engaging underrepresented communities. Enrollment yield will be calculated for each recruitment method, with logistic regression modeling estimating the odds of enrollment by recruitment outreach type, both overall and among different demographic groups.
Upon enrollment, participants will specify preferences for receiving text messages regarding heart health, research education, and opportunities. Messaging will focus on CV health prevention, management strategies, and research processes, with the aim of fostering trust in research within the community. Pre-post surveys will be distributed to assess changes in clinical trial awareness, trust in medical research, and willingness to participate in trials at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months post-enrollment. Interaction terms will be used to evaluate differences in outcomes by race, ethnicity, and sex.
The process for matching participants to research within the CONNECT project involves individual researchers submitting requests to the CONNECT study team for access to the learning community as a recruitment resource, followed by approval Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Upon access, researchers can retrieve, and view records of participants matched to respective studies, ensuring access only to data pertinent to the research objectives. Verification of IRB approval is mandated, and the CONNECT study team will request documentation from the individual research team's IRB to confirm compliance before granting access. Researchers using CONNECT must document eligibility and enrollment data for each CONNECT participant matched to the participants study. Proportions of participants matched to and enrolled in ongoing research studies will be tabulated and compared across demographic groups.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Participant is 18 years or older
- Residing in the US
- Self-identifies as having cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk factors
- Has a mobile phone and is willing to receive text-messages
- Can read in English or Spanish
Exclusion Criteria:
- Unwilling or unable to provide informed consent