In 2017, the NYU Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Recruitment and Retention Unit created a Patient Advisory Council for Research (PACR) to provide feedback on clinical trials and health research studies. We collaborated with our clinical research informatics team to generate a random sample of patients, based on the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes and demographic factors, for invitation via the patient portal. This approach yielded in a group that was diverse with regard to age, race/ethnicity, sex, and health conditions. This report highlights the benefits and limitations of using an electronic health record-based strategy to identify and recruit members for a PACR.

Background Study coordinators play an essential role on study teams; however, there remains a paucity of research on the supports and services they need to effectively recruit and retain study participants. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 147 study coordinators from a large academic medical center. Survey items assessed barriers and facilitators to recruitment and retention, anxiety about reaching enrollment numbers, confidence for talking to potential study participants about research involvement, awareness and use of CTSA resources, and PI involvement with recruitment planning. Results Significant associations were found between anxiety about reaching target enrollment numbers and whether the study coordinator was the primary person responsible for developing a recruitment strategy. Three years or more serving as a study coordinator and levels of anxiety for reaching enrollment numbers was also significant. Conclusion More institutional level supports and formal training opportunities are needed to enhance study coordinators’ effectiveness to recruit participants.

Chinese American immigrants are at increased risk for Helicobacter pylori infection and stomach cancer. Despite their increased risk, very few prevention strategies exist which target this vulnerable population. The purpose of this article is to present the stakeholder engaged development, review, assessment, refinement, and finalization of a H. pylori treatment adherence and stomach cancer prevention curriculum specifically designed to engage vulnerable, limited English proficient Chinese Americans in New York City.