Researchers turn to social media to find volunteers for HIV study
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SEATTLE -- A new clinical trial is under way to test a vaccine that could slow the affects of HIV, and some day even stop AIDS, and researchers are looking for volunteers via the World Wide Web.
Recruiters typically visit gay bars, puts ads in papers and magazines. Now they are hoping to find better success online via Facebook and Twitter.
"We started getting creative with Craigslist," said David Garcia of Seattle HIV Vaccine Trials Network. "We'd just say, 'Hey, we are looking for volunteers - healthy people 18 to 45 willing to make a difference in world and be a part of history in helping us find an HIV vaccine."'
HVTN has tried everything else to recruit.
"Our recruiters go home at a certain time, but website is live all the time," said Soyon Im, HVTN's manager of Internet Strategy.
They chat on the web, send out Tweets and blog. They even have a Facebook page.
Seattle's is the flagship site of HVTN, internationally headquartered at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Twenty seven sites around the country are looking for 1,350 trial candidates.
"It is really tough," said Garcia.
Garcia says only out of every 15 contacts, only one might enroll in the study. And now is the time to cast a wide net.
"Now that we see, as times have changed, always good to keep up with new Internet technology, which is basically social media," he said.
The website, hopetakesaction.org, is the recruiters' launching point to Facebook, where the group has about 1,300 fans.
Live chat on gay websites is another recruiting tool. Ad banners pop up before a targeted audience.
The Seattle site says about a quarter of its contacts are being made through the Internet and social media, and it hopes to increase that number.
Recruiters typically visit gay bars, puts ads in papers and magazines. Now they are hoping to find better success online via Facebook and Twitter.
"We started getting creative with Craigslist," said David Garcia of Seattle HIV Vaccine Trials Network. "We'd just say, 'Hey, we are looking for volunteers - healthy people 18 to 45 willing to make a difference in world and be a part of history in helping us find an HIV vaccine."'
HVTN has tried everything else to recruit.
"Our recruiters go home at a certain time, but website is live all the time," said Soyon Im, HVTN's manager of Internet Strategy.
They chat on the web, send out Tweets and blog. They even have a Facebook page.
Seattle's is the flagship site of HVTN, internationally headquartered at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Twenty seven sites around the country are looking for 1,350 trial candidates.
"It is really tough," said Garcia.
Garcia says only out of every 15 contacts, only one might enroll in the study. And now is the time to cast a wide net.
"Now that we see, as times have changed, always good to keep up with new Internet technology, which is basically social media," he said.
The website, hopetakesaction.org, is the recruiters' launching point to Facebook, where the group has about 1,300 fans.
Live chat on gay websites is another recruiting tool. Ad banners pop up before a targeted audience.
The Seattle site says about a quarter of its contacts are being made through the Internet and social media, and it hopes to increase that number.
