Using social media to recruit study participants for a randomized trial for hypertension. Issue 1 (30th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Feyz, Lida; Wang, Yale; Pathak, Atul; Saxena, Manish; Mahfoud, Felix; Sanghvi, Kintur; Peterson, Rose; Kirtane, Ajay J; Azizi, Michel; Iyer, Mano; Daemen, Joost
• Is Part Of: European heart journal. Volume 1:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 71
• Page End: 74
• Publication Date: 2020-11-30
• Subjects: Social media -- Recruitment -- Facebook -- Hypertension -- Trials; Medical informatics -- Periodicals; Medical technology -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular system -- Periodicals; 616.100284
• DOI: 10.1093/ehjdh/ztaa010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2634-3916

Abstract

Abstract: Aims: The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of social media as an approach to recruit hypertensive subjects. Methods and results: In addition to conventional trial recruitment, Facebook ads were run. Over a 115-day recruitment period, Facebook reached 5.3 million people in 168 separate campaigns run in the proximity of 19 sites in the USA and 14 sites in Europe. A total of 182 839 participants (3.4%) clicked on the ad; of those 10 483 subjects (5.7%) completed a dedicated questionnaire. This resulted in 3632 potential candidates. A total of 285 potential candidates were recruited by various recruitment strategies in the specified time period, of which 184/285 (64.6%) came from Facebook. When comparing Facebook with a 7-day radio spot in the same time period, 48 radio spots were launched; resulting in nine inquiries with eventually five potential candidates and two consents. Conclusion: Targeted social media was a successful and efficient strategy to recruit hypertensive subjects.