Recruiting with Opt-In

Opt-in allows you to reach Nebraska Medicine patients who have opted in to be contacted about research opportunities when they completed their Consent for Treatment form. This recruitment option requires you to go through the Vice Chancellor for Research’s (VCR) office. To begin this process, set up a meeting with the VCR recruitment team by emailing clinicalresrecruit@unmc.edu.

Here are the recruitment tactics available with opt-in:

• Phone calls
  • Phone numbers are given to the study team in small batches via an excel sheet. The study team sends the VCR recruitment team updates on who has been contacted and when they need more phone numbers. There is a phone call template available and anyone on the team making phone calls must go through opt-in training with the VCR recruiting team.
    
    
• Emails
  • The study team creates the email message using the email template and sends it to the VCR recruitment team for review. After it is IRB approved, emails are sent out by the VCR recruitment team using the clinical research recruitment email, sent in small batches the study team can handle. Potential study participants are given directions to contact the study team.
    
    
• Mailed letters
  • Mailed letters are written and sent out by the study team. Template
    
    
• OneChart Patient Portal Messages
  • This opt-in method sends a message to patients through the OneChart Patient Portal (also known as MyChart). After writing your script using the patient portal template, it will need to be reviewed by multiple committees in order to recieve approval. 

Templates:

• Phone
• Email
• Mailed Letters
• Patient Portal

We highly recommend starting this process as early as possible in your study as it can take time to set-up.

Are you compensating participants? Please review the compensation language document for IRB approved phrases for recruitment materials here. Compensation Language PDF

FAQ

• How much does Opt-In cost?
  • Feasibility numbers are subsidized by GP IDeA-CTR, however, the data pull is charged at $60 per hour. We can work with you to give you an estimate.  
  • The VCR recruitment team may charge a fee for services. For more information, email clinicalresrecruit@unmc.edu.
• Can I have MRN numbers or other patient information?
  • In order to obtain MRN numbers or other sensitive patient information, you must justify your reasoning with the IRB. 
• I've already done opt-in training for a previous study, do I need to do it again?
  • Yes, you need to do opt-in training every time as it is study specific.
• Can I use all of the opt-in recruitment tactics?
  • You can only contact each patient three times. You can use the same tactic each time (i.e. three emails) or you can combine tactics (i.e. email as first contact, phone calls as contacts two and three). It's up to your team and target demographic.

If you have additional questions, please reach out to clinicalresrecruit@unmc.edu.