Recruitment . . .

not rocket science . . . but no project gets off the ground without participants . . .

Viv Maskrey & Annie BlythSenior Research AssociatesUniversity of East Anglia, Norwich

April 22, 2023

SHARPISH experience

Investigators: Collaborators:

F. Song1

M. Adeney6

R. Holland1T. Dyer

7

G. Barton1

C. Slater8

M. Bachmann1

P. Aveyard2

S. Sutton3

J. Leonardi-Bee4

T. Brandon5

1. Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, UK

2. Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, UK

3. Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, UK

4. Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, UK

5. Tobacco Res and Intervention Program, University of South Florida, USA

6. SmokeFree Norfolk, Norfolk Community Health and Care Trust

7. Norwich CRTU

8. NHS Norfolk Stop Smoking Services

April 22, 2023

SHARPISH background

NHS Stop Smoking services are cost-effective to help smokers stop smoking

50% of smokers who set a quit date stop smoking at 4 weeks (Judge 2005)

However, smoking relapse is common among short-term quitters

75% of the 4-week quitters go back to regular smoking between 4 and 52 weeks (Ferguson 2005)

April 22, 2023

SHARPISH Study designBased on meta-analysis* , showing:

Coping skills may reduce smoking relapse in people able to quit for at least one week

A randomised, open, controlled study

N = 1,400 (700 in each arm); study duration 3 years

Quitters recruited by Specialist Stop Smoking Advisors

Sending booklets to participants

2 telephone follow-up interviews (at 3 and 12 months)

CO-test confirmation of abstinence at 12 months

*(Song F, Huttunen-Lenz M, Holland R. Effectiveness of complex psycho-educational interventions for smoking relapse prevention: an exploratory meta-analysis. J Pub Hlth 2009; doi:10.1093/.

April 22, 2023

SHARPISH Intervention

Forever Free BookletsBOOKLET 1 An Overview

BOOKLET 2 Smoking Urges

BOOKLET 3 Smoking And Weight

BOOKLET 4 What If You Have A Cigarette?

BOOKLET 5 Your Health

BOOKLET 6 Smoking, Stress, & Mood

BOOKLET 7 Lifestyle Balance

BOOKLET 8 Life Without Cigarettes

April 22, 2023

Funder: HTA Disclaimer

Acknowledgement: ‘This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in the Health Technology Assessment journal series.

Visit the HTA programme website for more details www.hta.ac.uk/link to project page. The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Health’

April 22, 2023

Viv and Annie

Study Co-ordinators

Job sharingTwo for the price of one

Two heads are better than one

First meeting reported on:Numbers recruited

Numbers not recruited

Okay, but not enough

What do we do now?

April 22, 2023

Back to the drawing board

Thought about our ethical code:RespectHonesty

Aim to be:EnthusiasticTenaciousEncouragingAppreciative

. . . pathologically positive

April 22, 2023

A R M S

A - aheadR - realisticM - monitorS - support

April 22, 2023

A R M S

AHEADRecruiters’ events, and be thereOutside bodies to raise profilePossible dips and peaks in recruitment

REALSITICWhat recruiters can do; be respectfulWhat you can doBe prepared to let go

April 22, 2023

A R M S

MONITORSystematic flaws in forms, proceduresFix things before they become entrenchedIdentify successes and failures and learn

SUPPORTAt any and every opportunityEncourage successes, even small onesReally care about their work, engender this for project too

April 22, 2023

Black ducks and pink ducks

April 22, 2023

Practical application of ARMSEnsure positive presence at meetings

Anonymised quotesPoems, small tokensListen to ideas

Occasional emailsUpdatesCongratulations

Fun thingsParties, refresher evenings, quizzes

. . . raise the profile . . . be memorable!

April 22, 2023

How was recruitment going?

First 11 months recruitment = 550/733 (75%)

April 22, 2023

What to do?

The possibilities are:1. Improve recruiters’ recruitment rates2. Increase number of recruiters3. Increase number of sites

April 22, 2023

What did we do?

1. Recruiters are doing really well, continue to support

2. Increased number of recruitersWith help from PCRNEnlisted advisors in primary care

3. Increased number of sitesWith help from PCRNEnlisted Suffolk, Herts, GY&W, Lincs

April 22, 2023

What happened?

April 22, 2023

What happened?

Brilliant . . .

But what about follow up?92% at 2 months / 87.5% at 11 months

April 22, 2023

For good follow up . . .

ULTRA FLEXIBLEWork eveningsWork weekendsTravel aboutSeek help

April 22, 2023

REMEMBER . . .

Why people participate - Helping others

Future patientsClinicians

Help medical researchDon’t have to be of benefitWeigh up perceived risk

Christina Jerosch-Herold, SCoRD, UEA 2011

April 22, 2023

REMEMBER . . . A R M S

A - aheadR - realisticM - monitorS – support

. . . and be memorable

April 22, 2023

Thanks to . . .

HTAPCRNStop Smoking ServicesHealth trainersRecruitersOur institutionsTrial Management TeamSteering Committee