Revised recruitment emails

Attachment F. Recruitment Materials

The World Trade Center Health Program: Impact Assessment and Strategic Planning for Translational Research

DRAFT Recruitment Emails for Focus Group Participation

October 2017

1. Email from NIOSH to potential stakeholders introducing the RAND project

Dear [NAME],

We are writing to share some information about an upcoming evaluation of the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) and the research it supports. As part of the evaluation, we would very much value your input on how WTCHP research is used to improve the health and well-being of Program members. The WTCHP has contracted with the RAND Corporation, an independent non-profit research institution, to conduct the evaluation, and we wanted to let you know that a RAND representative will contact you in the coming weeks to formally invite you to participate. [For those that were recommended by another potential participant: You were recommended by ****** as someone who could provide an important perspective on WTCHP research.]

What would participation entail? RAND will be inviting you to participate in a focus group, either in person in New York City or via telephone/webinar. The focus group will be an opportunity to share your opinions about the WTCHP and specifically, about the research that the Program supports. The focus group will take approximately 2 hours. Participation is completely voluntary.

All of your comments during this focus group will be kept private and identifying information will not be shared with us at the WTCHP or anyone outside of the RAND project team. In any public materials or discussions with us at the WTCHP, RAND will combine comments from all participants in order to protect your privacy.

We view your participation as critical to the success of this independent evaluation. RAND will be in touch shortly with more information. In the meantime, thank you for your consideration and please feel free to ask any questions by responding directly to this email.

Best wishes,

[NIOSH representative]

2. Initial invitation to participate:

Dear [NAME],

We are writing to share some information about an ongoing RAND study of the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) and the research it supports. RAND is an independent non-profit research institution that was selected by WTCHP to conduct the study.

The success of this study depends on gaining insights from you about how WTCHP research is used to improve the health and well-being of Program members. RAND will be inviting you to participate in a focus group [by telephone and webinar/in person]. The focus group will last approximately 2 hours, and participation is voluntary.

Any comments you share during the focus group will be confidential. RAND will combine comments from all participants in order to protect your privacy; no one outside of our RAND study team (including no WTCHP staff), will be able to connect comments to you or the organization(s) you represent.

Your input is important to the success of the study. RAND will be in touch shortly. In the meantime, thank you for your consideration and please feel free to reply to this email with any questions.

Best wishes,

[RAND project staff]

3. Invitation reminder #1:

Dear [NAME],

We recently contacted you with an invitation to participate in a focus group to discuss the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). As a brief reminder, the RAND Corporation, an independent non-profit research institution, is conducting a study to evaluate WTCHP research at the request of the Program’s administrator, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). You have been recommended as someone who can provide valuable input on how WTCHP research is used to improve the health and well-being of Program members.

The focus group will be an opportunity to share your opinions about the WTCHP, the research the Program supports, and the barriers to translating research into improved care for members. Your participation is voluntary. Information about you and comments you make will not be shared with the study sponsor (NIOSH), or anyone outside of the RAND project team. In any public materials or discussions with the WTCHP, we will combine information and comments from all participants in order to protect the privacy of individuals.

We invite you to indicate your interest in participating in one of the focus groups by choosing an option below. We will follow up with more details if you agree to participate.

Best wishes,

[RAND project staff]

3. Invitation reminder #2:*

Dear [NAME],

We recently contacted you to follow up on an invitation to participate in a focus group to discuss the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). Briefly, the RAND Corporation, an independent non-profit research institution, is conducting a study to evaluate WTCHP research at the request of the Program’s administrator, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). You have been recommended as someone who can provide valuable input on how WTCHP research is used to improve the health and well-being of Program members. This is a second reminder that we would very much appreciate your important perspective on the WTCHP.

The focus group will be an opportunity to share your opinions about the WTCHP, the research the Program supports, and the barriers to translating research into improved care for members. Your participation is voluntary. Information about you and comments you make will not be shared with the study sponsor (NIOSH), or anyone outside of the RAND project team. In any public materials or discussions with the WTCHP, we will combine information and comments from all participants in order to protect the privacy of individuals.

We invite you to indicate your interest in participating in one of the focus groups by choosing an option below. We will follow up with more details if you agree to participate.

We hope you will consider participating.

Best wishes,

[RAND project staff]

*Note: if unable to reach by email after the initial invitation and 2 reminder attempts, we will follow up with a phone call to selected stakeholders representing sub-communities that are proving challenging to enroll in the focus groups. We will use the following text as a script for the reminder phone call:

Hello. My name is **** and I’m calling about a recent email invitation you should have received about participating in an evaluation of the World Trade Center Health Program. I’m calling from RAND, an independent, non-profit research organization, and we have been asked by NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, to conduct this evaluation. NIOSH administers the World Trade Center Health Program. Your participation is completely voluntary and would involve participating in a focus group where you would share your feedback on the program and the research it supports.

Is this something that you’d like to hear more about? [if no: Thank you very much for your time. Have a good day.] [If yes: Wonderful. We appreciate your interest. We have planned focus groups on several different dates. Do any of the following work with your schedule? [provide options for focus groups and confirm participation on one of the available dates]. I’ll send you a follow-up email shortly, confirming this date and time and providing a few more details. Thank you very much once again.

5. Email response to potential focus group participants who decline to participate:

Dear [NAME],

Thank you for your reply and we are sorry you will not be participating in upcoming focus groups on the World Trade Center Health Program. To help us understand how best to strengthen future outreach and engagement efforts with key stakeholders, would you provide a brief explanation of why you have declined this invitation?

All responses to this email will be kept private. Information about you and comments you make will not be shared with the study sponsor (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), or anyone outside of the RAND project team. In any public materials or discussions with the WTCHP, we will combine information and comments from all participants in order to protect the privacy of individuals.

Thank you and best wishes,

[RAND project staff]

5. Confirmation email to potential focus group participants who accept participation:

Dear [NAME],

Thank you for agreeing to participate in our upcoming focus group meeting on the World Trade Center Health Program. You are scheduled to attend on [DATE] at [TIME] to be held at [LOCATION].

To help launch a robust discussion at the meeting, we would like to gather your brief responses to the following questions:

1. What are your aspirations for the WTCHP? In other words, what would you like to see it accomplish?

2. Can you provide an example of research that has come out of the WTCHP that you feel made a difference in the care of responders to and survivors of the 9/11 WTC attack?

As a reminder, the purpose of the focus group is to evaluate the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). Each meeting will be an opportunity to share your opinions about the WTCHP, the research the Program supports, and the barriers to translating research into improved care for members. Your participation is voluntary. Information about you and comments you make will not be shared with the study sponsor (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), or anyone outside of the RAND project team. In any public materials or discussions with the WTCHP, we will combine information and comments from all participants in order to protect the privacy of individuals.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions in the meantime by responding directly to this email.

Best wishes,

[RAND project staff]

5. Reminder email to enrolled focus group participants:

Dear [NAME],

 

We are looking forward to the upcoming focus group on the World Trade Center Health Program on [DATE] at [TIME] to be held at [LOCATION]. Thank you very much for taking the time to share your important insights on how research is used to improve the health and well-being of program members.

 

In advance of the focus group, we are asking you to provide brief responses to the two following questions if you haven’t already, to help launch a robust discussion:

1. What are your aspirations for the WTCHP? In other words, what would you like to see it accomplish?

2. Can you provide an example of WTCHP-sponsored research that you feel made a difference in the care of survivors of and responders to the 9/11 WTC attack?

  

As a reminder, the purpose of the focus group is to evaluate the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). Each meeting will be an opportunity to share your opinions about the WTCHP, the research the Program supports, and the barriers to translating research into improved care for members. Your participation is voluntary. Information about you and comments you make will not be shared with the study sponsor (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), or anyone outside of the RAND project team. In any public materials or discussions with the WTCHP, we will combine information and comments from all participants in order to protect the privacy of individuals.

Thank you again for participating in this important work. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions between now and the meeting. If you have any travel or logistical issues on the day of the focus group, your point of contact at RAND is [NAME and phone number].

 

We look forward to meeting with you soon.

Thank you and best wishes,

[RAND project staff]