What is it about?
This study looked at how research staff experienced running a clinical trial with children and families in rural and underserved areas. Staff shared both survey responses and personal stories. Six key themes came up: 1. Families felt overwhelmed by the number of tasks and phone calls. 2. Incentives matter—families appreciated rewards, especially when given on time and to both kids and adults. 3. Personal connections help—families stayed more engaged when they had a strong relationship with staff. 4. Clear, family-friendly materials made recruitment easier. 5. Staff liked the health program and had ideas to improve it for future use. 6. Working with rural families was rewarding—staff valued helping communities with fewer resources.
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Why is it important?
Most research focuses on what participants think, but this study asked the people who actually ran the trial—like nurses, coordinators, and investigators—what worked and what didn’t. Their insights can help make future studies easier and more successful, especially in rural communities.
Perspectives
I enjoyed collaborating with colleagues across the United States who participate in our research network to write this manuscript. We hope that it may provide insights for clinical trials researchers to make clinical trials more successful in rural areas: Keep study tasks manageable. Offer timely and meaningful incentives. Build strong relationships with families. Use clear and friendly communication. Listen to staff—they have valuable ideas!
Kristina Foster
University of Kansas Medical Center
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Study team perspectives on a multisite randomized clinical trial with underserved rural populations: A mixed methods feasibility analysis, PLOS One, September 2025, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0333229.
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