ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on several systems-based barriers, including infrastructure support, identification of eligible patients, and key barriers to physician participation in the research study recruitment process. There are a number of potential pitfalls that may be avoided with careful attention to formative research as part of the Communication Design process. Multidisciplinary research in communication, policy, health care, education, nursing, etc. is needed to address wicked problems associated with clinical trial recruitment of underserved populations. Recruiters often struggle to simply find the physical space they need to discuss research studies and clinical trials with patients. While poverty, illiteracy, and medical distrust are extremely difficult to address through the design of interventions, it is possible to make other changes that can transform communication within a health care context that will increase the successful accrual of patients to research studies and clinical trials. Redesigning communication protocols around recruitment should lead to improved treatments for a wide variety of diseases and medical conditions.
