This case study highlights our ability to overcome significant recruitment challenges through strategic planning and client collaboration.
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Date published
Client: Medical Product Design Agency
Objective: Recruitment of mental health professionals to participate in a research study of a new medical device.
Region: Specific targeted region within the United Kingdom
Our client, a leading healthcare product designer, needed to conduct research on a new medical device, which required a specific subset of healthcare professionals (HCPs) with specialised experience and knowledge in mental health. The primary challenge was the limited availability of these professionals, given their tight schedules and the travel time required to attend the study.
- Limited Availability: Mental health professionals often have very busy schedules, making it difficult for them to allocate time for participating in research studies.
- Narrow Recruitment Criteria: The criteria for participants were very specific, requiring a significant number of candidates to be screened before being fastidiously shortlisted.
- Reluctance to Participate: Many of the shortlisted candidates had never participated in such research, leading to reluctance and uncertainty about the process.
- Incentivised referral scheme:
By leveraging our extensive network of healthcare professionals and panel members, we offered a minimal referral fee to recommend anyone who matched the criteria. Not only did they help us find the exact participant quota, but also increased our profile amongst HCPs working in this area.
- Enhanced Compensation Fee:
To attract the attention of busy professionals, we worked with our client to set an incentive fee slightly above the fair market value. This ensured that the study was appealing despite the time commitment required to attend while keeping the monetary compensation fee low to avoid undue bias.
- Optimised Recruitment Costs:
Due to our efficient recruitment processes, we balanced the slightly enhanced compensation fees by keeping our recruitment costs as low as possible.
- Wide Search Area:
To compensate for the narrow recruitment criteria, we significantly expanded our search area. This allowed us to target a larger pool of potential candidates, increasing the likelihood of finding suitable participants.
- Volume-Based Approach:
By screening a large volume of candidates, we ensured that we had a sufficient number of qualified participants. Out of 51 HCPs identified as suitable, 16 were successfully recruited to participate in the study.
- Clear Communication and Support:
Understanding that many professionals were new to this type of research, we provided clear, detailed information about the study process. We ensured that participants knew what to expect, addressing any concerns or questions they had.
Our recruitment strategy was successful, with 16 mental health professionals successfully completing the study. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many finding the experience interesting and beneficial. This not only met the client’s immediate research needs but also increased the likelihood of these professionals participating in future studies. Also: one happy client.
This case study highlights our ability to overcome significant recruitment challenges through strategic planning and client collaboration. By offering a referral programme, competitive compensation fees, optimising costs, expanding our search area, and providing clear communication, we successfully recruited the required mental health professionals, ensuring the smooth execution of our client’s research study.
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