Examining the Efficacy of a Digital Media Intervention to Increase Recruitment Rates
NCT ID: NCT07284329
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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RECRUITING
NA
787 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2025-01-06
2026-04-30
Brief Summary
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Recruiting families for research in the NICU is challenging. Parents are often stressed, overwhelmed, and unfamiliar with how clinical trials work, which can make it hard for them to process complex medical information and decide whether to take part. Traditional consent methods, such as paper forms, may not be enough to ensure families feel informed and comfortable with participation.
To address this, WHEAT-Boost will test whether adding a short, co-designed digital video helps improve recruitment rates. The video is 3.5 to 4 minutes long, available in English and French (with subtitles in other commonly spoken languages), and explains the importance of NICU research and details of the WHEAT International Trial in a simple and visual way. The video was co-developed with parents who have experience in the NICU to ensure the information is relevant and easy to understand.
NICU sites participating in the WHEAT Trial will be randomly assigned, in a stepped-wedge design schedule, to either continue using their usual recruitment methods, or to add the digital video to their recruitment approach. Parents in both groups will be asked to complete a short, voluntary questionnaire about their experience with the consent process and their understanding of the trial.
The main goal of WHEAT-Boost is to see if the video increases the number of families who agree to take part in the WHEAT Trial (known as the "opt-in rate"). The study will also look at whether the video reduces the number of families who later withdraw from the trial, and whether it improves parents' understanding of the study and their satisfaction with how information was shared.
If successful, the video could be used in other NICUs or future studies to help make research more accessible and inclusive for families. This approach could lead to stronger participation in neonatal trials, better-informed decisions by parents, and faster progress in improving care for premature babies.
Detailed Description
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Fifteen Canadian NICUs participating in the WHEAT International Trial will be randomized in a stepped-wedge design to transition from the control condition (usual recruitment approach) to the intervention condition (usual approach plus video). Each site will act as its own control, with transitions occurring at 29-day intervals. All sites will begin in the control arm, using standard informed or opt-out consent materials, and then sequentially implement the video intervention according to the randomized schedule.
The intervention consists of a 3.5- to 4-minute digital video co-developed with a parent-partner advisory group. The video uses accessible language, storytelling, and visual elements to highlight the role and value of neonatal research and to clarify key details of the WHEAT Trial. It is delivered via a QR code linked to a secure website, enabling families to view the content on personal or institutional devices. The co-design approach ensures the material is tailored to the needs and concerns of NICU families, many of whom may experience emotional distress and information overload during their infant's hospitalization.
This SWAT will evaluate several outcomes. The primary outcome is the WHEAT Trial opt-in rate, defined as the proportion of eligible families who consent to enroll their infant in the trial. Secondary outcomes include the post-randomization withdrawal rate, parental comprehension of trial-specific information, and overall experience with the consent process. These will be measured using a brief questionnaire co-designed with the parent group and administered to all approached families, regardless of group assignment.
Analysis of the primary and secondary outcomes will follow intention-to-treat principles and will use generalized linear mixed models appropriate for the stepped-wedge design. Models will include random intercepts for sites and fixed effects for time and intervention status. For qualitative data from open-ended survey responses, an inductive thematic analysis approach will be applied.
This SWAT addresses a critical need for evidence-based strategies to enhance trial recruitment in high-stress clinical environments like the NICU. By supplementing conventional consent procedures with engaging, accessible media, the study seeks to normalize research participation and support informed decision-making by parents of vulnerable infants. If effective, this low-cost, scalable intervention could be readily adapted to other trials and clinical settings, advancing broader efforts to improve inclusivity and transparency in neonatal research.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
OTHER
NONE
Study Groups
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Control (No-Video) Arm
Participants receive the standard informed consent or opt-out consent documentation for the WHEAT International Trial without any additional digital media support. Research staff approach parents/primary caregivers using the usual verbal and paper-based consent process. Families then complete a brief questionnaire about their understanding and experience with the consent process.
No interventions assigned to this group
Intervention (Video) Arm
Participants receive the usual informed consent or opt-out consent documentation plus access to a co-designed 3.5-4-minute digital media video that explains the importance of neonatal research and key trial details in an accessible format. The video is intended to supplement and clarify the consent process to improve understanding and recruitment.
Research staff provide parents/primary caregivers with a QR code linking to the video hosted on the WHEAT International Trial website. Families are encouraged to watch the video on their personal devices or hospital devices if needed. This is provided alongside the usual consent documentation during the NICU stay. Following this, families complete the same brief questionnaire about their experience and comprehension.
Intervention (Video) Arm
A 3.5-4-minute co-designed digital media video created to supplement the standard consent process for the WHEAT International Trial.
Interventions
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Intervention (Video) Arm
A 3.5-4-minute co-designed digital media video created to supplement the standard consent process for the WHEAT International Trial.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
Infant is \<30 weeks gestational age at birth
Infant is admitted to one of the participating Canadian NICU sites
Parent(s)/primary caregiver(s) are approached for consent to participate in the WHEAT Trial during a time period when the SWAT is active at their site
Exclusion Criteria
Parent(s)/primary caregiver(s) not approached for WHEAT Trial participation (e.g., missed recruitment window, language barriers not addressed by materials, medical instability of infant or family)
30 Weeks
ALL
No
Sponsors
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IWK Health Centre
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Dr. Balpreet Singh
Associate Professor, Neonatologist
Principal Investigators
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Balpreet Singh
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
IWK Health
Locations
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Royal Alexandra Hospital
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Dr. Everett Chalmers
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Moncton Hospital
Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Saint John Regional Hospital
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Janeway Children's Health and Rehabilitation Centre
Saint Johns, NFLD, Canada
IWK Health
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Kingston Health Sciences Centre
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
London Health Sciences Centre
London, Ontario, Canada
The Ottawa Hospital/CHEO
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Mount Sinai
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Windsor Regional Hospital
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Centre hospitalier de l'Université Laval
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Montreal Children's Hospital
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Countries
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Central Contacts
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References
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Lawrence LM, Bishop A, Curran J. Integrated Knowledge Translation with Public Health Policy Makers: A Scoping Review. Healthc Policy. 2019 Feb;14(3):55-77. doi: 10.12927/hcpol.2019.25792.
Korstjens I, Moser A. Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 4: Trustworthiness and publishing. Eur J Gen Pract. 2018 Dec;24(1):120-124. doi: 10.1080/13814788.2017.1375092. Epub 2017 Dec 5.
Elo S, Kyngas H. The qualitative content analysis process. J Adv Nurs. 2008 Apr;62(1):107-15. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x.
Ouyang Y, Karim ME, Gustafson P, Field TS, Wong H. Explaining the variation in the attained power of a stepped-wedge trial with unequal cluster sizes. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2020 Jun 24;20(1):166. doi: 10.1186/s12874-020-01036-5.
Voldal EC, Hakhu NR, Xia F, Heagerty PJ, Hughes JP. swCRTdesign: An RPackage for Stepped Wedge Trial Design and Analysis. Comput Methods Programs Biomed. 2020 Nov;196:105514. doi: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2020.105514. Epub 2020 May 21.
Synnot A, Ryan R, Prictor M, Fetherstonhaugh D, Parker B. Audio-visual presentation of information for informed consent for participation in clinical trials. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 May 9;2014(5):CD003717. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003717.pub3.
Ballard HO, Shook LA, Desai NS, Anand KJ. Neonatal research and the validity of informed consent obtained in the perinatal period. J Perinatol. 2004 Jul;24(7):409-15. doi: 10.1038/sj.jp.7211142.
Wilman E, Megone C, Oliver S, Duley L, Gyte G, Wright JM. The ethical issues regarding consent to clinical trials with pre-term or sick neonates: a systematic review (framework synthesis) of the empirical research. Trials. 2015 Nov 4;16:502. doi: 10.1186/s13063-015-0957-x.
Dahav P, Sjostrom-Strand A. Parents' experiences of their child being admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit: a qualitative study-like being in another world. Scand J Caring Sci. 2018 Mar;32(1):363-370. doi: 10.1111/scs.12470. Epub 2017 Aug 22.
Obeidat HM, Bond EA, Callister LC. The parental experience of having an infant in the newborn intensive care unit. J Perinat Educ. 2009 Summer;18(3):23-9. doi: 10.1624/105812409X461199.
Al Maghaireh DF, Abdullah KL, Chan CM, Piaw CY, Al Kawafha MM. Systematic review of qualitative studies exploring parental experiences in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. J Clin Nurs. 2016 Oct;25(19-20):2745-56. doi: 10.1111/jocn.13259. Epub 2016 Jun 3.
Other Identifiers
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CTR-184893/ CT1-184892
Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT
Identifier Source: secondary_id
1027137 (SWAT)
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id