PBRN Resources

Identifying Eligible Veterans for Long COVID Research

• The LC-PBRN has a dedicated Patient Identification Core for collaboration with VA-based investigators. Patient Identification can assist in developing eligibility consistent with funding requirements and to identifying patients who meet the criteria in VA CDW data. If you have a funded project and need assistance identifying patients, please contact us: VHAlongcovidPBRN@va.gov).
• VINCI Clinical Trial recruitment assistance
  • This is a service provided by the VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) that will provide approved research projects with a list of possible patients for recruitment based on inclusion/exclusion criteria.
  • For more information on what VINCI can do for your research project and what information is available, watch the VINCI Data Services video
  • VINCI also provides trainings and regular meetings for researchers VINCI University (va.gov)

Optimizing Research Recruitment Strategies

• Long COVID Veteran Engagement Panels (VEP)
  • This panel is used to incorporate Veteran’s perspectives into strategies for recruitment methods, how to best engage with Veterans, build better trust and understanding between Veterans and VA research/clinicians as well as inform research agendas.
  • The LC-PBRN has convened a VEP to obtain feedback on Long COVID research and clinical priorities that is available for consultation by clinicians, researchers, and operations partners. These consultations can include topics such as research agenda setting, research design and delivery, ethics, recruitment, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and dissemination. Please reach out to the LC-PBRN team with questions or interest: (VHAlongcovidPBRN@va.gov).
  • Additional VEP resource:
    • A toolkit on building veteran engagement boards is available: Strengthening Excellence in Research through Veteran Engagement (SERVE) Toolkit 2.0 (va.gov)

• Human-centered design
  • There are groups within the VA focused on human-centered design that can be utilized by research to develop study protocols and create more effective recruitment strategies.
  • Trainings on human-centered design are offered by VA Customer Experience Institute (VACXi) - Learn and Practice CX and HCD (sharepoint.com)
  • The VHA Human Systems Integration (HSI) offers human-centered design services to projects for a fee HSI Division Home Page (sharepoint.com)

• Women’s Health Research
  • Women’s Health Research Network (WHRN) is a resource for VA researchers to support efforts to increase women Veterans’ health research and improve delivery of care specific to women Veterans’ needs.
    • WHRN provides research consults to assist in the development of research protocols and recruitment as well as troubleshooting issues in ongoing projects.
    • WHRN also hosts research workgroups on a variety of topics focused on Women’s health.
    • Information about WHRN and their resources can be found on their website: Women's Health Research Network (WHRN) (va.gov)
  • The Women’s Enhanced Recruitment Process (WERP) also provides consultations on recruiting women Veterans as well as a toolkit for each stage of the research study. (Contact WERP@va.gov) or visit their website: https://cipherwiki.va.gov/phenotype/index.php?title=WERP_Toolkit

There is also a Women’s Health Practice Based Research Network (WH-PBRN) that can assist with grant submissions that focus on women’s health issues or address representativeness in the recruitment of women.  PBRNSubmissionAssistance.pdf (sharepoint.com)

Tracking recruitment activities

VA REDCap is approved for the storage of PHI and PII and can be used to both track patient recruitment and survey instrument collection. VA REDCap can also be used to send survey links to research subjects outside of the VA network for at-home completion of surveys. REDCap provides a large library of resources on how to use REDCap - from setting up surveys to exporting data and technical support.

Non-VA REDCap cannot be used to store VA-owned data.

Helpful links:

1. Enterprise Self-Service - Research: Cybersecurity Guidelines for the use of VA REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) and non-VA REDCap Applications
2. VA REDCap Intranet Site
3. Guides:
   

   a. Study Design Basics Best Practices

   i. Video

   b. Introduction to Surveys

   i. Video

   c. Moving an outside REDCap project into VA REDCap.docx

   Video

   d.Other Presentations

Recruitment Methods: Best Practices and Helpful Links

1. Mail

   a. Mailings need to include a return address with the VA facility address and mailstop.
   
   b. Do your best to screen your possible participant mailing lists for deceased individuals. If you receive notification that a letter was mailed to a deceased individual, notify the Decedent Affairs Office.

2. Phone

   a. Initial contact of potential participants must be made either by letter (mail or email) or in-person before recruitment calls can be made.

   i. The initial contact must include a phone number or other information that will allow the individual to verify that the study is a VA research project.

   b. VHA Directive 1200.05 5.g.(8) says: "During the recruitment process, making initial contact with potential subjects in person or by letter prior to initiating any telephone contact.

   i. There are some exceptions including if the patient has agreed (in writing) to be contacted about research
   
   ii. Another exception that allows for proactive calling - contacting a participant by phone for recruitment before receiving information on the study via mail, in the clinic, or other method was also added in 2021

   1. https://www.research.va.gov/programs/epros/education/webinars/orppe-082421.cfm
   2. https://www.research.va.gov/programs/epros/education/webinars/session_archive.cfm?RecordID=227643&Date12202023
   3. Request to use proactive calling: Proactive Calling for Subject Recruitment - Home (sharepoint.com)

3. Email

   a. Electronic Mail and Texting: Draft Guidance on the Use of Electronic Mail and Electronic Text Messaging for Recruiting and Communicating with VA Subjects in VA Research (July 28, 2017)

4. Social Media
5. Paid advertising

   a. From VA Handbook 8501, 2.d.(4): "Any paid recruitment efforts, to include purchase of promotional items, meant to assist in procuring medical research candidates or participants must follow this advertising handbook."

Research Subject Payments

Research subject payments can no longer be paid by check. While there may be differences between VA locations, most require the use of direct deposit and require research participants to fill out a VA Vendor form (VA Form 10091). Some sites also allow the use of Direct Express debit cards and gift cards. Contact your fiscal department for local guidance.

Example Recruitment Materials

Examples for the below materials is available upon request. Please email the PBRN email group: VHAlongcovidPBRN@va.gov

Veteran-Facing Recruitment Documentation

1. Recruitment Flyer
2. Outpatient Recruitment Letter
3. Inpatient Recruitment Letter
4. Opt-In/Opt-Out Mailer
5. Consent/HIPAA

Other Veteran-Facing Letters

1. Thank You Letter
2. Study Payment Letter (to accompany gift card payments)
3. Follow-Up reminder Letter
4. Study Appointment Letter

Scripts

1. Outpatient Recruitment Script
2. Inpatient Recruitment Script
3. Recruitment Voicemail Script
4. Consent Script
5. Follow-up Appointment Reminder Script
6. Follow-up Reminder Voicemail Script

Recruitment FAQs (ask people to submit questions to the PBRN email group)

If you have questions regarding Long COVID research within the VA, please reach out to the PBRN email group (VHAlongcovidPBRN@va.gov).  

Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.