Parks Amanda M, Duffecy Jennifer, McCabe Jennifer E, Blankstein Breman Rachel, Milgrom Jeannette, Hirshler Yafit, Gemmill Alan W, Segre Lisa S, Felder Jennifer N, Uscher-Pines Lori
Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2022 Apr 20;5(2):e35320. doi: 10.2196/35320.
In an increasingly connected world and in the midst of a global pandemic, digital trials offer numerous advantages over traditional trials that rely on physical study sites. Digital trials have the potential to improve access to research and clinical treatments for the most vulnerable and minoritized, including pregnant and postpartum individuals. However, digital trials are underutilized in maternal and child health research, and there is limited evidence to inform the design and conduct of digital trials. Our research collaborative, consisting of 5 research teams in the U.S. and Australia, aimed to address this gap. We collaborated to share lessons learned from our experiences recruiting and retaining pregnant and postpartum individuals in digital trials of social and behavioral interventions. We first discuss the promise of digital trials in improving participation in research during the perinatal period, as well as the unique challenges they pose. Second, we present lessons learned from 12 completed and ongoing digital trials that have used platforms such as Ovia, Facebook, and Instagram for recruitment. Our trials evaluated interventions for breastfeeding, prenatal and postpartum depression, insomnia, decision making, and chronic pain. We focus on challenges and lessons learned in 3 key areas: (1) rapid recruitment of large samples with a diversity of minoritized identities, (2) retention of study participants in longitudinal studies, and (3) prevention of fraudulent enrollment. We offer concrete strategies that we pilot-tested to address these challenges. Strategies presented in this commentary can be incorporated, as well as formally evaluated, in future studies.
在一个联系日益紧密的世界以及全球大流行的背景下，与依赖实体研究地点的传统试验相比，数字试验具有诸多优势。数字试验有可能改善最弱势群体和少数群体（包括孕妇和产后女性）参与研究及获得临床治疗的机会。然而，数字试验在母婴健康研究中的应用并不充分，且用于指导数字试验设计与实施的证据有限。我们由美国和澳大利亚的5个研究团队组成的研究合作项目旨在填补这一空白。我们合作分享在社会和行为干预数字试验中招募和留住孕妇及产后女性的经验教训。我们首先讨论数字试验在改善围产期研究参与度方面的前景，以及它们所带来的独特挑战。其次，我们介绍从12项已完成和正在进行的数字试验中吸取的经验教训，这些试验利用了Ovia、Facebook和Instagram等平台进行招募。我们的试验评估了针对母乳喂养、产前和产后抑郁、失眠、决策制定以及慢性疼痛的干预措施。我们关注在三个关键领域所面临的挑战和吸取的经验教训：（1）快速招募具有不同少数群体身份的大样本；（2）在纵向研究中留住研究参与者；（3）防止欺诈性入组。我们提供了为应对这些挑战而进行预测试的具体策略。本评论中提出的策略可在未来研究中加以采用并进行正式评估。
