Summary
This content analysis examined how 62 investigator-facing and 18 participant-facing websites at National Institutes of Health-funded Clinical and Translational Science Award institutions communicated about clinical research participation opportunities. Most CTSAs (88.7%) included CR content for participants, though only 29% hosted dedicated participant websites. The analysis identified 13 distinct message types and 5 communication channels, but revealed important gaps: many participant sites lacked explanations of the CR process and offered content exclusively in English, suggesting suboptimal accessibility for diverse potential participants.
UK applicability
Whilst this study focuses on US CTSA institutions, its findings on communication accessibility and target audience alignment are relevant to UK clinical research networks and NHS trusts seeking to improve participant recruitment and engagement. The identified gaps in plain-language explanations and multilingual content provision apply equally to UK research infrastructure.
Key measures
Number of CTSA investigator (n=62) and participant (n=18) websites analysed; frequency of CR participation content inclusion; count and types of messages about CR (13 types identified); number of communication channels (5 types identified); presence/absence of CR process explanations; language availability
Outcomes reported
The study identified message types and communication channels used by Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) institutions to communicate about clinical research participation to investigators and participants via websites. Findings revealed gaps in information provision and language accessibility on participant-facing sites.
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