Clinical & Translational Science Institute / Clinical Research / Recruiting Participants / Recruitment Tools

Recruitment Tools

Advertising Your Studies

Have a question?
Contact the URMC Marketing Department.

There are many ways to advertise your clinical research studies to recruit participants, including MyChart, flyers, TV, radio, newspaper, and social media. To help you decide which method of advertising is best for your study, read the RSRB Policy/Guidance for Internet Based Research & Research Using Social Media and check out this online advertising decision guide. You can also consult a professional to help develop your marketing strategy by contacting the Research Help Desk.

MyChart for Recruitment

Researchers can offer clinical trial opportunities directly to patients who may be eligible using MyChart, the UR Medicine online patient portal. A page listing research study opportunities appears in their MyChart accounts where they can learn about the studies, indicate if they want to be contacted, select areas of interest, receive study messages and see studies they are enrolled in.

Learn more about using MyChart for Recruitment.

Marketing Materials

The UR CTSI and URMC Marketing team have developed a set of downloadable marketing materials to encourage participation in health research. These materials, including a brochure, flyer, several posters and examples of social media ads, offer the UR Health Research website as a resource to learn more and get involved in studies. Feel free to share these items with your patients or the community or use them as inspiration to design your own ads.

UR Health Research Marketing Toolkit

Where to Find Free Images

The websites below offer free images that you may use in your ads. Always be sure to comply with copyright restrictions.

Mosio for Texting Research Subjects

The University of Rochester now has an approved vendor for texting research subjects. Mosio is a “text messaging software enabling you to efficiently communicate with, collect data from, and engage research participants.” Mosio must be used as an integration with REDCap and not independently. Obtain a quote and a Statement of Work that includes the REDCap integration from Mosio.com. Then, submit a REDCap Support Request. For questions, please contact the REDCap Administrator.

Research Recruiting Documents and Templates

Video: Volunteer for Health Research – This three-minute video includes testimonials from several study participants about why it is important to get involved in health research.
Dr. to Dr. Letter – This document can be used to introduce a study to a physician and to ask them to refer patients to your study for enrollment.
Principles of Recruitment – Things to consider when planning, implementing and evaluating recruitment into health research studies
Feasibility Assessment – Things to consider when doing a Feasibility Assessment for Recruitment and Retention of Research Subjects
Facebook-and-Instagram-Ads-Template-for-IRB-Submission - What information does the IRB need in order to approve my dynamic Facebook or Instagram ads?
Recruitment Funnel – What is a Recruitment Funnel? How is it useful when planning a health research study?
Data Collection – Why do we collect data? How do we collect data?
Pre-Enrollment Tracking – Tracking recruitment prior to study enrollment
Enrollment Tracking – Tracking subjects who enroll in health research studies, where do they come from?
Recruitment Strategy and Budget Planning Worksheet – Which recruitment resources do you plan to use? Different people will learn about your trial in different ways so consider implementing multiple recruitment tools. The more effective components there are in a recruitment plan, the more likely you will reach your recruitment goals.
Quarterly Recruitment and Enrollment Milestone Report – A recruitment timeline spreadsheet will also be helpful to get a better idea of site resource load per week and the expected number of subject visits and types of visits.
Recruitment Accrual - Study Visit Planning Spreadsheet – It is very helpful to forecast your research participant recruitment timelines by plotting out the expected or targeted number of participants recruited compared to the actual number of participants recruited.

Additional Resources

Research Coordinators Group (SCORE)

SCORE supports education and networking for URMC research coordinators and staff. Recruitment tools and resources are often presented at monthly meetings. Learn more about SCORE

Center for Community Health & Prevention (CCHP)

The mission of CCHP is to join forces with the community to eliminate health disparities and improve health through research, education and service. Community engagement can be an important tool in developing a successful clinical study. Getting input from the community on your protocol and recruitment plan will make your recruitment goals easier to achieve. CCHP’s research resources.

Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP)

CISCRP provides healthcare professionals with resources to better understand the study volunteer and facilitates collaborations among all members of the clinical research enterprise. The provide examples of recruitment materials and data on what motivates participants to join a research study. Learn more about CISCRP.

Antidote.me

This guide from Antidote.me provides tips about different forms of advertising and when to use them. It contains helpful information you need to kick off a successful clinical trial advertising campaign. How-to Guide for Advertising

Advarra Tips for Patient Recruitment

Advarra has many articles related to the topics of recruitment and retention. Patient enrollment and retention