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The type of research you are doing determines which stakeholder to involve though you can still capitalise on your past experiences. The stakeholders you network with should have a common interest so that you can share platforms and learn from their failures. This will help to improve on recruitment strategies as you will have started from the known to unknown.
The study i’m invoved in is the first one of its kind in the area so the study team thought it was crucial to do a formative research before hand. As such we carried out a vast community education program targeting all the stake holders and managed to reach out some NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, community leaders, health personel and potential participants. These stakeholders were involved way back and now it has been a year before the study start up. But to maintain the momentum, we do provide them with quarterly reports on the study update so as to keep them informed. Cab have been helpful in the formulation of study tools and providing information of which stakeholders were critical for such a trial.
In my context, there was a time when there was a microbicide study that did not do a lot of community and stakeholders engagement. so during the course of the study, there was a rumour that the study was infecting women with HIV. It was so difficult to dispel the rumour and the research ended up being discontinued.It then become so difficult to do any other study in the country due to that rumour and it had to take high profile medical people to convince the government to allow some further research in the country.
Rentetion should start right at community engagement as the message that is given in the first place should be consistent. The participants before recruitment have the right to know everything about the study so that they can make an informed decision of wheter to join the study or not. Once they get correct information at the begining, retention will not be a problem in their study participation.
At my site, the PI and the study cordinator are aware of GPP but they have left it to be a community educator’s baby. I think the course should be made compusory like the GCP and HSP ones so that all people involved in research have the knowledge of GPP and that way the implementation of the guidelines and principles will be enhanced.
Buying in the stakeholders is the first step. Identify your stakeholders for the programme you are doing and then see how you can partner with them for an effective outcome.
Capacity building for CAB is vital. Apart from the exposure they may have through international travels it is important that their learning in various topics is scheduled and they are given time to present some topics and facilitate some sessions. knowlegde is power so if they have adequate infomation about research and whatever study thay may be involved in then they will be able to present both the community and research fraternity at whichever level.
Joyce.
I want to agree with some earlier speakers when they talked about the consistent of CAB members being diverse. I think Identification of CAB members is critical as this will determine their influence in the community. CAB members should be diverse in their social status and should also be representative of the recruitment sample if they are to have an impact on the study’s life cycle.
Joyce.
