Using telehealth for research!
Technology and creativity to allow for safe participation!
Like other institutions, organizations and businesses, research studies have faced unprecedented obstacles during the COVID-19 pandemic. 10KFS is no exception. On March 18th, when the state of Minnesota first shut down, everything changed for us. Our 10KFS team gathered what they needed from their offices, and set-up their home offices. What happened after is what we are sharing with you!
Preparing to enter the unknown territory of what has now become the norm: “working from home”, the 10KFS team downloaded Zoom to our computers and began to have conversations about connecting with participants and with others in the community again. Pandemic restrictions forced us to cancel any in-person activities such as public events to share information and health visits where our team collects samples and measurements from participants. This information is important to ensure study success and community benefits.
"What should we do?" We asked ourselves.
- The outreach team began connecting with people by participating in online events, sharing information through our new website and using social media to interact with everyone. They encouraged people to fill out the eligibility survey and begin the enrollment process.
- The team continued sending initial questionnaires to eligible family members to be completed online.
- Since roughly half of the necessary data the study collects from participants comes from our online questionnaire and the other half comes from our in-person health visit, we needed to find a way to continue the process. While the first half of our initial data collection (questionnaires) continued without pause, the pandemic made the second half tricky. This second part involved participants visiting us at a clinic location to provide biological samples and complete various health measurements.
What normally occurred at the health visits before the pandemic was that a team of 15 staff would visit with about 40 participants. In order to protect not only participants in research studies but research teams from being in spaces that quickly would become an outrageous health risk, the University of Minnesota halted all in-person data collection.
We got creative and found a way!
We needed to continue collecting samples and physical measurements but in a way that was safe for everyone. That is how we came up with the idea of having Zoom Health Visits for remote data collection. Yes, it sounds impossible, but here's how we accomplished this task:
- Our participants need to complete a participation Consent and sign a HIPAA form.
Luckily, our study had fully made the switch from paper to electronic forms of Consent and HIPAA documents last February, just a month before the shutdown. Call it good luck, we call it serendipity!
- With Zoom we had a platform for meeting with people virtually, so we decided to combine all of the online assets we already had and bring the health visit to our participants’ homes. We called this new health visit model: “Remote Data Collection: Zoom Health Visits”. Remote Data Collection is happening in two parts, as not every sample and measurement can be taken over Zoom or easily done by the participant at home. Part 2--which will include measurements of height, weight, hip/waist circumference, vision, and samples of blood and urine--is still being planned.
For the “Zoom Health Visit,” we first work with participants to find a week that is good for their family. We then find convenient time slots within that week to schedule Zoom calls for each participant in that household. A health visit kit containing an iPad, hotspot, and variety of collection materials is sent to the household at the beginning of that week. During each participant’s visit, we collect data on grip strength, blood pressure, hearing, and memory and walk them through gathering samples of hair, nails, saliva, and microbiome (stool). The list may sound long, but we get all of this done in a one hour Zoom call per participant. After the Zoom visit, 10KFS sets up a kit pick up by shipping company. The kit gets dropped off and picked up right at participants’ doorsteps, so they don’t have to travel farther than their front stoop! The best part is that each family member who participates in the Zoom visit receives a $25 Amazon e-giftcard as soon as the kit is received by 10KFS.
For the sake of comparison, Health Visits at our clinic typically last 2-3 hours per participant and have required participants to travel to our downtown clinic location. We plan to resume offering these health visits once the pandemic has been managed, as it is a convenient, one-stop shop for participants in the metro area. However, we plan to continue to offer Remote Data Collection as an alternative option. Additionally, we would like to eventually offer health visits in other locations away from our downtown clinic location, given sufficient resources. The more options we can ultimately offer for completing Step 3 post-COVID-19, the better!
Although Remote Data Collection has posed a unique learning curve, we have continually been refining our processes while piloting Zoom Health Visits and are thrilled about its success so far. Participants have commented on how much easier this format has made completing step 3, particularly for those with children and those living in greater Minnesota. With operations well-established, we are excited to now offer this option to all of our study participants for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you are interested in learning more about this option, please email [email protected] or call our Health Visit Coordinator, Emily Marlette, at area code (612) number 301-8657.
Take advantage of this opportunity! Schedule your family’s Health Zoom Visit ASAP!
More about the author:
Emily Marlette - Health Visit Coordinator
