1. Women Participating in Clinical Research Studies VA Example: Recruiting Women Where Everyone is Male
Wendy Muzzy, Instructor College of Nursing
Stephanie Hamski, Research Coordinator
Ron Acierno, College of Nursing

2. Study Details Funded by Department of Defense Only female Veterans
Very small percentage of VA patients are women
Recruitment locations
MUSC
Charleston VAMC and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs)

3. Barriers to Recruitment
Limited potential participant pool
Suspicion or fear of research and/or treatment (applies to many populations)
Scheduling conflicts (children, work, etc.)
Resources and logistics (costs more than we sometimes think to participate)

4. Lessons Learned
Plan on recruitment being the most difficult challenge of the study
Budget accordingly
Identify and address barriers/limitations (e.g., expand the recruitment area, educate providers and potential participants)
Follow recruitment and enrollment targets weekly

5. Lessons Learned Revise the plan as you go
Reality: SOME THINGS DON’T WORK
Participant feedback is key
Financial compensation should reflect the participants’ time and effort
Reduce participant burden when possible
Do you really need all those self reports?