Check out the current issue of URBAN ARCH News, the quarterly newsletter bringing you news on the latest URBAN ARCH and related research.
ARCHER Study: Lessons Learned from a Purely Virtual, Nationwide, Behavioral Intervention Trial
In this edition of the URBAN ARCH Newsletter, we highlight the ARCHER P01.
Click on the buttons below to see what the International URBAN ARCH Center Cores and Projects have been working on.
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Spotlight on… Tibor Palfai, PhD
In this interview, we highlight Tibor Palfai and his work with the ARCHER P01 and in the field of HIV and alcohol use research more broadly.
Article Spotlight
Development and Implementation of an Iterative Checklist to Identify Fraudulent Participants in Online Research Studies
Research studies conducted online can lower barriers to participation, but they are also susceptible to fraud. In October 2023, ARCHER researchers investigated and identified 10 study participants who falsified information in order to meet inclusion criteria and enroll in two online clinical trials (the Integrated Telehealth Intervention to Reduce Chronic Pain and Unhealthy Drinking Among People Living With HIV, and the Increasing Physical Activity Among People Living With HIV Engaged in Unhealthy Drinking trials). The team subsequently identified indicators of potentially fraudulent activity at prescreening, screening, and baseline study stages, and developed an iterative checklist method to prevent future instances of fraud.
- In prescreening, predicable patterns were indicators of fraud. These included using first and last names that were common first names (e.g., John Mark), email addresses consisting of first and last names followed by a series of numbers, area and zip codes not matching, and selecting response options at the top of provided ranges (e.g., availability, physical activity level, and level of interest).
- At the screening stage, indicators included using a Google voice number, urgent emails or calls, voices or appearances that were similar or identical to other participants, and patterns of behavior that suggested that participants were following a script.
- If fraud was suspected, study staff requested a government-issued photo identification to confirm participants’ identity.
- In analyses comparing the indicators of the 10 individuals who had fraudulently enrolled in the trials with 101 authentic participants, all of the identified checklist indicators except male sex were found more frequently among fraudulent participants than among those who were genuine.
- Following implementation of the checklist method for fraud identification, the study team identified 37 fraudulent individuals who completed screening across the two trials. None were enrolled.
Comments: As online studies become increasingly prevalent, rigorous iterative processes are needed to identify potentially fraudulent participants, especially during recruitment and screening. The indicators and checklist developed in this study may be useful tools for researchers conducting other kinds of virtual trials.
Reference: Siebers R, Magane K, Slayton H, et al. Lessons learned identifying and controlling fraudulent participation in online randomized trials. J Med Internet Res. 2025;27:e77512.
Next Week: 2026 URBAN ARCH Annual Meeting
We look forward to connecting with you in-person and virtually next week at the 2026 URBAN ARCH Annual Meeting. Please click here to view the meeting agenda and register here.
International URBAN ARCH Center Visiting Scholar Webinar with Dr. Christopher Kahler
Join us on Monday, June 1, 2026 at 12pm ET / 9am PT to hear Dr. Christopher Kahler (Brown University) present progress and emerging results from the Brown University Alcohol Research Center on HIV (ARCH). Click here to join this webinar via Microsoft Teams, or click here to add this event to your calendar.
New URBAN ARCH Publications
- Rao AV, Ghare SS, Gautam V, Hoffman KL, Petrosino J, So-Armah K, Samet JH, Patts GJ, Cheng DM, Blokhina E, Krupitsky EM, Lioznov D, Zvartau E, McClain CJ, Tindle H, Freiberg MS, Barve SS. Sex differences in beneficial and pathogenic bacteria in People With HIV (PWH) with a history of heavy alcohol drinking. Front Microbiol. 2025 Nov 21;16:1632949. PMCID: PMC12679886.
- Rich ZC, Tindle HA, Cheng DM, Stein MD, Gnatienko N, Bendiks S, Forman L, Patts GJ, Krupitsky E, Freiberg MS, Samet JH. Assessing the impact of nicotinic partial agonists compared to NRT on opioid and cigarette use: A secondary analysis investigating treatment outcomes for co-occurring nicotine and opioid use. J Subst Use Addict Treat. 2026 Jan 18;184:209904. Epub ahead of print.
- Sheinin J, Brothers TD, Stein MD, Winter MR, Palfai TP, Magane KM, Bellamy S, Asbridge M, Kim TW. Cocaine use, unhealthy alcohol use, and pain interference among people with HIV. AIDS Behav. 2026 Jan 5. Epub ahead of print.
Events and Conferences
- International Workshop on HIV and Hepatitis Observational Databases: March 26-28, 2026; Thessaloniki, Greece.
- American Society of Addiction Medicine Conference (ASAM): April 23-26, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA.
- National Council for Behavioral Health Conference: April 27-29, 2026; Denver, CO, USA.
- Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM): May 6-9, 2026; Washington, DC, USA.
- Society for Prevention Research: May 26-29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA.
- Kettil Bruun Society Alcohol Research: June 1-5, 2026; Kaunas, Lithuania.
- College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD): June 13-17, 2026; Portland, OR, USA.
- Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA): June 20-24, 2026; San Antonio, TX, USA.
Upcoming abstract deadlines: The Union World Conference on Lung Health 2026 (April 9, 2026)
Click here for more events and conferences.
