EXAMINING CHANGES IN STROKE RESEARCH RECRUITMENT TRENDS PRE AND POST COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Background and aims: Covid-19 has disrupted essential stroke prevention and treatment services, stroke rehabilitation and support services and delivery of stroke research. We examine recruitment data for two stroke rehabilitation trials recruiting within a single centre in November 2019 and November 2021, to identify if/how Covid-19 impacted upon recruitment rates and processes. Both studies were managed by the same research team and comprised of comparable protocols and selection criteria. Methods: Recruitment data from the two corresponding time periods, are reported using descriptive statistics. Field notes and direct researcher experiences are used to support observations derived from the data. Results: Patients screened reduced by >40% in November 2021 compared to the same period in 2019, despite an almost 20% increase in admissions, recruitment reduced by 75%. Research staffing issues (sickness) resulted in missed recruitment data and opportunities in November 2021. There were changes in participant identification methods, resulting from restricted researcher screening within clinical areas;more remote screening, less attendance at clinical meetings and increased initiation of referrals from the clinical staff (Table 1). While the centre's clinical trials portfolio expanded between 2019 and 2021 (from 11 to 17), we noted a reduction in research co-enrolment;reasons for this are unclear, however lower recruitment rates more broadly may have contributed to this. Conclusions: Covid-19 has changed how we engage with/in clinical research. Understanding the ways in which Covid-19 has altered the research recruitment landscape will be important in the continued delivery of vital stroke research, driving clinical advancements in the field.