Abstract
Background: Child health research is crucial to finding safe and effective treatments for children. However, child health research can be challenging in that it can require significant resources. Additionally, parents may need to make the decision to participate in a study during a stressful situation, such as an emergency department visit. Although innovative study design and methodology are being used to try and address these challenges, a key component of conducting more efficient, relevant and successful child health research is finding better ways to engage and involve parents in the research process from study conception to dissemination of results. Methods: We employed a cross-sectional, survey design to seek feedback from parents on 1) how they would like to learn about potential child health research studies that their child could participate in; 2) whether they would like to learn more about the research studies they are participating in; and 3) how they would like to receive information about studies they are participating in. Results: The survey findings demonstrate that parents are interested in hearing about opportunities to participate in child health research, particularly during visits to their general practitioner/pediatrician or walk-in clinics. Most parents would like to receive updates on the progress, results, and researchers involved in studies their child has participated in. Parents would also like to be provided with support to participate in research studies (i.e., travel or child care). Conclusion: This study is part of a larger initiative that is re-examining recruitment and retention methods to inform research teams in planning child health studies. In order to involve a wider range of parents and children in current and future studies, there must be strong engagement strategies in place, developed with parents, to effectively and respectively share research opportunities, progress and results, and demonstrate that their participation matters.
An online survey to assess parents' preferences for learning about child health research
