TY  - JOUR
AU  - Leavens, Eleanor Ladd Schneider
AU  - Stevens, Elise Marie
AU  - Brett, Emma Irene
AU  - Molina, Neil
AU  - Leffingwell, Thad Ryan
AU  - Wagener, Theodore Lee
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/04/08
TI  - Use of Rideshare Services to Increase Participant Recruitment and Retention in Research: Participant Perspectives
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e11166
VL  - 21
IS  - 4
KW  - rideshare service
KW  - recruitment
KW  - retention
KW  - attrition
KW  - transportation
AB  - Background: Recruitment and retention of participants are important factors in empirical studies. Methods that increase recruitment and retention can reduce costs and burden on researchers related to the need for over-recruitment because of attrition. Rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft are a potential means for decreasing this burden. Objective: This study aimed to understand the role rideshare utilization plays in participant recruitment and retention in research trials. Methods: Data are presented for a study (N=42) in which rideshare services were utilized for participant transportation to and from study visits during a 2-session, in-laboratory research study. Results: Retention at visit 2 was greater than 95% (42/44) in the initial study. In a follow-up survey of the participants from the original trial, participants (N=32) reported that the rideshare service was an important reason they returned for all study visits. Participants reported whether they would prefer differing levels of additional monetary compensation or a ride from a rideshare service. When the additional compensation was less than US $15, participants reported a preference for the rideshare service. Conclusions: Rideshare services may represent a relatively low cost means for increasing study retention. Specifically, findings indicate that rideshare services may not be crucial for initial participant recruitment but for their retention in multi-visit studies. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - https://www.jmir.org/2019/4/e11166/
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/11166
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30958268
DO  - 10.2196/11166
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/11166
ER  -