full access: Challenges with engaging participants in behavioral intervention research

Summary and conclusions The challenges and recommendations outlined in this paper are informed by clinical trials of behavioral interventions in the context of HIV-infected populations. Although the specific nature of this trial may restrict the generalizability of the recommendations to other populations, illnesses, trial designs and intervention modalities, the general concepts are likely applicable across settings and are consistent with the limited literature on this topic.8,13 For example, there is a documented need to address expectations, motivations, and barriers to clinical trial participation across gender, race and ethnicity.12,13,16,17 The few sources that address these issues often do so in the context of engagement in treatment rather than clinical trials,18,19 and while there may be some attention to the needs of special populations such as homeless persons,20 this literature typically fails to consider issues unique to a research setting such as altruism and desire for financial incentives.17 Without effective techniques to maximize adherence to innovative health promotion interventions, investigators will struggle to compile empirical evidence of the intervention’s efficacy and eventual effectiveness.