How to Maximize Your Research Team’s Efforts

Woo: One of my centers, I notice, had an extremely high rate of recruiting their participants. When I asked what they were doing, one of the things they did was to involve multiple people, not just a physician, not just a nurse, but to bring multiple people to that conversation. Even if the physician wasn't part of the study, but could answer the medical questions that came up during it, that was part of it. So, a team approach to recruiting.

Reimer: It helps if you're introduced by a member of the clinical team. If they introduce you, and make sure that the family knows that you are part of the team that's taking care of them, rather than being a separate person, a separate group that's invading, but that you can be part of their whole care plan, I think helps. So just an introduction from the doctor who's treating, or the nurse that's treating the patient, can be really helpful.

Romano: In our setting, the coordinators sit in the same area as we do. We are two, three doors apart, open door policy. We walk into each other's rooms and ask questions about what is happening with clinical studies. They come to us with questions. So it's really a very close relationship.

Edwards: The coordinators and I actually hold the PIs accountable for this. Have to be very clear about what the research is, what it involves, how it's going to work, and potentially what the benefits and-- the risk and benefits to anybody who participates in the study, but particularly the community that you are trying to work with.

Romano: In general, our coordinators own many of the projects although they cross cover other studies, they own one or two projects where they are primarily responsible for this. We often ask them to come to investigator meetings with us. We sit together, we learn about the studies together.

France: Within any group I've worked with, we've always tried to think about what the research adds to the patients' medical care as well. And that it actually ought to be a benefit just to participate.