Shubeck Claire, Reyes Garay Hans, Nelson Bret P, Wilder Marcee, Degtyar Aleksandra, Lukas Megan, Gordon Lauren, Loo George T, Coleman Bernice, Richardson Lynne D, Souffront Kimberly
Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
Department of Cardiology, Mount Sinai Morningside, 440 W 114th Street Suite 220, New York, NY, 10025, USA.
Int J Emerg Med. 2024 Oct 7;17(1):142. doi: 10.1186/s12245-024-00717-y.
The dynamic environment of the emergency department (ED) poses unique challenges to the execution of well-designed research. There is limited investigation into the viability of studies conducted in the ED. This paper offers a systematic evaluation of our recruitment of emergency patients for a prospective observational research study, shedding light on the intricate landscape of research feasibility within the ED setting.
Research coordinators dedicated 2816.83 h to screening, recruiting, and enrolling patients between June 2018 and September 2023, having to stop recruitment twice due to financial constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic. 485 patients were approached and 84 of them were enrolled, resulting in a 31.94% enrollment rate, with approximately 2.8 participants recruited per month. Of those enrolled, 77 completed all study endpoints. Most participants were Hispanic (n = 44; 52.3%) and/or Black (n = 37; 44%), middle-aged (µ = 51.7 years), and female (n = 48; 57.1%). Participant recruitment was challenged by competing mindsets, the COVID-19 pandemic, and high staff turnover.
Recruiting emergency patients for a prospective observational study is feasible given adequate staffing and financial resources. Standardizing feasibility assessments for the recruitment of patients in the emergency department is important to the success of future study.
急诊科的动态环境给精心设计的研究的实施带来了独特挑战。对在急诊科开展的研究的可行性调查有限。本文对我们为一项前瞻性观察性研究招募急诊患者的情况进行了系统评估，揭示了急诊科环境下研究可行性的复杂情况。
研究协调员在2018年6月至2023年9月期间投入2816.83小时进行患者筛选、招募和入组工作，由于资金限制和新冠疫情，不得不两次停止招募。共接触了485名患者，其中84名患者入组，入组率为31.94%，每月约招募2.8名参与者。在入组的患者中，77名完成了所有研究终点。大多数参与者为西班牙裔（n = 44；52.3%）和/或黑人（n = 37；44%），中年（均值 = 51.7岁），女性（n = 48；57.1%）。参与者招募受到相互冲突的观念、新冠疫情和高人员流动率的挑战。
在有足够人员配备和资金资源的情况下，为前瞻性观察性研究招募急诊患者是可行的。规范急诊科患者招募的可行性评估对未来研究的成功至关重要。
