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How to Engage Occupational Physicians in Recruitment of Research Participants: A Mixed-Methods Study of Challenges and Opportunities

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Abstract

Purpose To investigate barriers and facilitators for research participant recruitment by occupational physicians (OPs). Methods A mixed-methods approach was used. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with OPs to explore perceived barriers and facilitators for recruitment. Based on data of a cluster-randomised controlled trial (cluster-RCT), univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate associations between OPs’ personal and work characteristics and the number of recruited participants for the cluster-RCT per OP. Results Perceived barriers and facilitators for recruitment were categorised into: study characteristics (e.g. concise inclusion criteria); study population characteristics; OP’s attention; OP’s workload; context (e.g. working at different locations); and OP’s characteristics (e.g. motivated to help). Important facilitators were encouragement by colleagues and reminders by information technology tools. Multivariate analyses showed that the number of OPs within the clinical unit who recruited participants was positively associated with the number of recruited participants per OP [rate ratio of 1.43, 95 % confidence interval 1.24–1.64]. Conclusions When mobilising OPs for participant recruitment, researchers need to engage entire clinical units rather than approach OPs on an individual basis. OPs consider regular communication, especially face-to-face contact and information technology tools serving as reminders, as helpful.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the OPs of the focus groups and interviews for their time and valuable information. We would also like to thank the OHS, 365/ArboNed, for providing the administrative data. This Project was supported by the Work Disability Prevention Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Strategic Training Program Grant (FRN: 53909) and by a Grant from Stichting Instituut GAK, a Dutch funding agency. The authors were independent of the funders and the funders had no role in the project.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Community and Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Iris Arends, Ute Bültmann, Corné Roelen & Jac J. L. van der Klink

  2. Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, 71 Franklin Road, Hopkinton, MA, USA

    William S. Shaw

  3. Center for Human Resource, Organization and Management Effectiveness, Business University Nyenrode, Straatweg 25, 3621 BG, Breukelen, The Netherlands

    Willem van Rhenen

  4. 365 Occupational Health Services, Zwarte Woud 10, 3524 SJ, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Willem van Rhenen & Corné Roelen

  5. Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK

    Karina Nielsen

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  1. Iris Arends
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  2. Ute Bültmann
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  5. Corné Roelen
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  7. Jac J. L. van der Klink
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Correspondence to Iris Arends.

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Arends, I., Bültmann, U., Shaw, W.S. et al. How to Engage Occupational Physicians in Recruitment of Research Participants: A Mixed-Methods Study of Challenges and Opportunities. J Occup Rehabil 24, 68–78 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-013-9452-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-013-9452-y

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