Objective: Patient portals are increasingly used to recruit patients in research studies, but communication response rates remain low without tactics such as financial incentives or manual outreach. We evaluated a new method of study enrollment by embedding a study information sheet and HIPAA authorization form (HAF) into the patient portal preCheck-in (where patients report basic information like allergies).
Materials and methods: Eligible patients who enrolled received an after-visit patient-reported outcomes survey through the patient portal. No additional recruitment/messaging efforts were made.
Results: A total of 386 of 843 patients completed preCheck-in, 308 of whom signed the HAF and enrolled in the study (37% enrollment rate). Of 93 patients who were eligible to receive the after-visit survey, 45 completed it (48% completion rate).
Conclusion: Enrollment and survey completion rates were higher than what is typically seen with recruitment by patient portal messaging, suggesting that preCheck-in recruitment can enhance research study recruitment and warrants further investigation.
Keywords: HIPAA authorization form; patient portal; preCheck-in; research study recruitment; survey.
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