BIO

Jessica Valyou is in her second year at Florida State University and is a Biology major with an interest in medical research. During the past year, she worked with Dr. Zhe He as a UROP student and worked on two projects: use of social media for HIV/AIDs clinical trial recruitment and PRECIOUS (a project focusing on the improvement of lab results comprehension). In addition to this, she enjoys working as a lab assistant for a fly lab at the Kings Life Building on campus as well as being the Membership Recruitment and Retainment officer for the French Club at FSU. After her undergraduate studies, she aims to go into an Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) combined degree in order to pursue medical research focusing on genetics.

Social Media and Clinical Trial Recruitment for HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Clinical trials rely on the recruitment of participants, and social media could help attract and increase viable participants. Social media presents a unique opportunity for targeting specific groups (HIV positive and high risk) because applications like Facebook or Reddit have group features as well as easy sharing ability. Moreover, the algorithms of these types of apps curate posts and advertisements towards audiences with an invested interest. Thus, social media advertising is potentially more targeted than in-person methods of recruitment (posters, billboards, pliers, etc.). In order to collect information on effective strategies for social-media-based clinical trial recruitment, literature reviews were conducted on relevant articles that examined social media recruitment in a variety of study types focusing particularly on HIV studies. Other factors of social media such as demographics, marketing techniques, and cost effectiveness were collected and examined. Applications like Facebook, Reddit, and Instagram show a high potential for recruitment due to the relevant Facebook groups for HIV and the high percentage of 18–29-year-olds on Instagram. In addition, the cost-per click averages demonstrated Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter a higher price as opposed to dating or hook-up apps like Grindr. When utilizing social media for recruitment, a proper background check is required to avoid duplicate or fraudulent accounts. In addition, the campaign or advertisement should follow marketing strategies in order to maximize their effectiveness and lower the predicted cost per participant. Limitations of these platforms included: inability to reach individuals without accounts and in rural areas due to the app’s geological demographics.

Keywords: HIV, Clinical Trials, Social Media