CONDUCTING UROLOGY RESEARCH DURING COVID-19: SOCIAL MEDIA-BASED CROWDSOURCING OF URINE SAMPLES FOR BIOMARKER DEVELOPMENT

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Conductingresearch during the COVID-19 pandemic remains a challenge for the entireurologic community. We hereby report our effort to use social mediabasedcrowdsourcing methodology to recruit participants from the entire UnitedStates, including Alaska and Hawaii. We developed a novel research model thatcan engage multiple stakeholders and allows for fast and broad participationfor urine biomarker development towards a diagnostic tool for InterstitialCystitis (IC). METHODS: We partneredwith a patient advocacy group, the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA), toaid in recruitment efforts. A website with study information and links to theHIPAA-compliant enrollment questionnaire was created. The study was advertisedthough Google, and Beaumont's and ICA's social media using Twitter, emails,YouTube videos, Facebook posts, websites, and TikTok. Enrolled participants wereshipped at-home collection kits containing urine cups with preservative, a prepaidreturn mailing envelope, instructions, and survey materials. RESULTS: National publicparticipation was strong, and enrollment was closed within three months. Menand women of all age groups and ethnicities enrolled in the study, representingall 50 United States. Currently, 1,211 crowdsourced samples have been returned,including 677 asymptomatic control samples. Surprisingly, most participantsaccessed the website via mobile devices, as opposed to via desktop computer ortablet. Potential participants were referred to the website primarily by directlinks (i.e. email links), with other referring sites being Facebook, GoogleAdvertisements, the ICA's website, and Beaumont Hospital's website. CONCLUSIONS: Following COVID-19 safety guidelines, we conducted a nationwide crowdsource collection ofurine samples. Social media and web-based recruitment tools were used torecruit participants. Having a website user-friendly on mobile devices wasessential. Nontraditional recruitment methods, such as TikTok videos,encouraged study participation. Utilizing various social media platforms, it ispossible to crowdsource urine samples from across the United States quickly,economically, and most importantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, safely. (Figure Presented).