Recruitment of a Community-based Cohort for Research on Diversity and Risk of Dementia

Abstract

We describe the history, development, and success of the recruitment and screening procedures used by researchers at the University of California, Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center (UCD ADC) to facilitate minority enrollment in research. After an initial, unsuccessful approach with satellite clinics in minority neighborhoods, the ADC shifted to an active community outreach approach. Multiple strategies were implemented to remove barriers to research participation such as providing transportation to clinical appointments and offering in-home cognitive screening. Considerable resources were directed toward hiring and training bicultural and bilingual individuals with knowledge of the target populations, both as recruiters and staff involved in clinical assessment. Implementation of these methods resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of ethnic minorities enrolled (and retained) in research protocols, including protocols that are complex and longitudinal. Diversity was achieved on other variables as well; years of education in the cohort range from 0 to 21, with 26% having 8 years or less. The community screen identified candidates for an in depth clinical evaluation and enrollment in longitudinal research, and we examined factors that predicted a positive response to invitation for the clinical evaluation. Individuals with a broader fund of knowledge were more likely to participate independent of other variables including ethnicity and education. When diversity is an important goal active outreach is far more efficacious than clinic-based and advertising-based approaches to recruitment.