Strategies to retain rural breast cancer survivors in longitudinal research

AimsTo describe the retention of rural women in the Rural Breast Cancer Survivors (RBCS) Intervention.BackgroundFew studies describe strategies and procedures for retention of participants enrolled in cancer research. Fewer studies focus on underserved rural cancer survivors.MethodsA descriptive design was used. A conceptual model of retention based on three factors: researcher, participant, and context with primary, secondary, and tertiary strategies was used to unify the data.Results432 women enrolled in the RBCS study, of which 332 (77%) were retained and completed the 12 month study. Favorable retention strategies included: run-in period, persistent attempts to re-contact hard to reach, recruitment and enrollment tracking database, and a trusting and supportive relationship with the research nurse.ConclusionA conceptual model of retention with differential strategies can maintain participant retention in a longitudinal research study.