HEAL Lab Presents Poster on Recruitment at 2023 APHA Conference in Atlanta, GA

The HEAL Lab’s Full-Time Research Assistant, Victoria A Lopez, presented a poster at the 151st American Public Health Association Conference (APHA) on November 14, 2023 titled “Examining Recruitment Methods in a Type 1 Hybrid-Effectiveness (HEI) study to reduce alcohol and drug use among Latino and Black primary care patients.” The poster was presented in the Alcohol Related Disparities and Priority Populations Session.

In this Type 1 HEI clinical trial, primary care patients were recruited from a Boston-based Complex Care Management Program. Patients in this program were high risk, and hard to reach. Adaptations to recruitment were made by consulting Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Principal Investigators at the clinics. This community-based approach to develop adaptations proved to be effective at improving study screening. Study adaptations improved screening by 17%. Adapting methods to reflect patients’ unique challenges, experiences, and stigma can positively impact screening efforts.

Click here to read the full abstract.