Developing a Learning COmmunity to Increase eNgagemeNt and Enrollment in Cardiovascular Clinical Trials (CONNECT)

The CONNECT project, titled "Developing a learning COmmunity to increase eNgagemeNt and Enrollment in cardiovascular Clinical Trials," seeks to establish an comprehensive learning platform aimed at improving diversity and representation in cardiovascular research. It encompasses three primary objectives:

• Identifying best practices for research recruitment and engagement among women and Black and Latino adults.
• Increasing participation in cardiovascular health research among women and Black and Latino adults.
• Improving trust in and awareness of cardiovascular research among women and Black and Latino adults.

A multi-method recruitment campaign will be implemented, utilizing both electronic health record (EHR)-informed and community-based strategies. A sub-study will be conducted to understand the effectiveness of EHR-informed recruitment. This sub-study will randomly assign a subsample of individuals identified in the EHR to one of three outreach modalities: patient portal message, email, and postal mail. Enrollment yield will be calculated for each recruitment method, with logistic regression modeling estimating the odds of enrollment by recruitment outreach type, both overall and among different demographic groups.

Upon enrollment, participants will specify preferences for receiving text messages regarding heart health, research education, and study opportunities. Messaging will focus on cardiovascular health prevention, management strategies, and research processes, with the aim of fostering trust in research within the community. Pre-post surveys will be distributed to assess changes in clinical trial awareness, trust in medical research, and willingness to participate in trials at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months post-enrollment. Interaction terms will be used to evaluate differences in outcomes by race, ethnicity, and sex.

The process for matching participants to research within the CONNECT project involves individual researchers submitting requests to the CONNECT study team for access to the learning community as a recruitment resource, followed by approval Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Upon access, researchers can retrieve, and view records of participants matched to respective studies, ensuring access only to data pertinent to the research objectives. Verification of IRB approval is mandated, and the CONNECT study team will request documentation from the individual research team's IRB to confirm compliance before granting access. Researchers using CONNECT must document eligibility and enrollment data for each CONNECT participant matched to the participants study. Proportions of participants matched to and enrolled in ongoing research studies will be tabulated and compared across demographic groups.

Inclusion criteria

• Participant is 18 years or older
• Residing in the US
• Self-identifies as having cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk factors
• Has a mobile phone and is willing to receive text-messages
• Can read in English or Spanish

Exclusion criteria

• Unwilling or unable to provide informed consent