MyDataHelps Designer provides several different methods to enroll participants. This article will help you choose the right one for your project, provide enrollment examples, and describe some enrollment best practices.
Enrollment Methods
The below table outlines each enrollment method along with some example scenarios where it may be relevant.
Many of the enrollment methods can (and should!) be combined to have the greatest reach.
| Method | Description | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation | Send a customizable email invitation to participants to join your project via a link. Participants must log in or create a MyDataHelps account using the invited email address to join your project. Can upload a list of participants for bulk invitation. |
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(QR Code, 6-digit code, & URL) |
Scan the QR code to download the MyDataHelps app and to enroll in the project. Alternatively, participants can manually enter in a 6-digit code within the app or follow a URL to join your study. |
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| Search | Allow participants to search for and join your project within the MyDataHelps app. Requires your project to be licensed. |
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| New Participant Survey Links | Send a web-based survey link that can add a participant to your project without the need for them to log in or create a MyDataHelps account. It is generally recommended to collect basic demographic information in the survey (e.g. email address). |
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Enrollment Survey
Each project has a default enrollment survey assigned. This is the survey that a participant is prompted to complete when enrolling in your project, which generally includes eConsent and collecting participant demographics. You can find your current Enrollment Survey from your project dashboard:
By following the link on the project dashboard, you can select an alternative enrollment survey or modify your existing one.
Best Practices
Follow-Up Enrollment Campaigns
Sending out invitations is only the first step in a successful enrollment campaign. You can use MyDataHelps Designer's built-in notification system and a participant segment based on enrollment status and target follow-ups to those not yet enrolled.
We recommend a follow-up notification at most once a week, ideally mid-week (Tuesday-Thursday).
Incentives
Offering incentives is a good way to improve your enrollment conversion. Incentives can be both monetary and non-monetary. Here are a few examples of how existing projects have used incentives:
- Custom dashboards to let the participant leverage their own data and take charge of their health. For example, one project created a participant dashboard to show the correlation between sleep, steps, and mood.
- Unique benefits related to the data being studied. For example, one genomics study offered free ancestry reports.
- Gift cards to online retailers. For example, one project offered gift cards for reaching certain survey goals.
Enrollment Examples
This section provides a few examples of how MyDataHelps Designer projects have handled enrollment differently.
Medical School Graduate Study
Researchers are recruiting recent medical school graduates. Although the team has contact emails for the graduates through their medical schools, they realize that some graduates may not retain access to those emails after graduation. They send out custom invitations containing the project's QR code. Graduates can then decide whether to enroll in MyDataHelps using their school, work, or personal email.
Precision Medicine App
Physicians at a clinic are recruiting patients for a precision medicine application. They invite interested patients during their clinic visits. Those with smartphones or computers at home are sent a standard MyDataHelps Designer invitation via email. Those without are enrolled at the clinic using shared device mode.
Genomic Study
University researchers are recruiting patients for a genomic study. They have a list with thousands of prospective participant email addresses. Using their university email system, they send out custom invitations at two-week intervals, changing content and incentives slightly with each iteration.
Post-Operative Outcomes Study
Researchers are looking to better understand post-operative outcomes. A new participant survey link is posted on fliers in surgical consultation offices for interested patients with upcoming elective surgeries to enter themselves on a waiting list. The survey captures their contact information and surgery date. Researchers automate a study invitation to go out to interested participants 1 week prior to their surgery date with data collection starting the day after surgery.