Using standardized metrics supports community engagement for HIV prevention studies

What is it about?

Good Participatory Practice (GPP) guidelines support and direct community engagement efforts in HIV prevention studies, but there are no standardized metrics that define their implementation and evaluation. The Community Program staff of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) and the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) created a metric to describe, monitor, and evaluate one component of GPP, recruitment practices, in the two AMP Studies of an HIV monoclonal antibody. Recruitment strategy descriptors were developed for both trials to characterize responses to “How did you hear about the AMP study?” The studies’ Community Working Groups also helped to define and establish time points chosen to allow comparisons across sites. Data were collected by 43 of 46 clinical research sites from January 1, 2017 to February 28, 2018. All 43 sites used multiple recruitment strategies successfully, but strategies varied by region. Data are presented and compared by region.

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Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash

Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Standardized metrics and data collection allow for meaningful comparisons of community engagement methods for trial enrollment, and data are essential to improve screening-to-enrollment ratios. Because the effectiveness of recruitment strategies varies by region, it is critical that clinical research sites tailor community engagement and recruitment strategies to their local environment, and that they are supported with resources enabling use of a range of approaches.