147 Development of a new website to connect the community to clinical research

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: The primary objectives of this project were to create a user-friendly website that • Shares details of ongoing studies in an easily searchable and filterable format. • Provides lay summaries of study results. • Highlights our volunteer registry. • Offers a platform for community engagement and feedback on research interests. Methods/Study Population: The website, developed using DRUPAL 10 and launched in June 2024, was created with input from faculty, staff, research participants, and community partners. It targets potential participants, community members, providers, and other Academic Medical Centers. The development process included focus groups to identify design and feature needs, design iterations and usability testing, and an external accessibility review. Study information is automatically updated from the Study Information Portal (SIP) in OnCore and a custom REDCap survey. Features include a research volunteer registry, study results in lay terms, educational content about research, and multiple ways for community engagement. The site supports English and Spanish and follows best practices for accessibility. Results/Anticipated Results: Community feedback on the site has been very positive, with positive comments about ease of navigation and the improved appearance of the website. It is still early, but we have seen a notable increase in enrollment in the Volunteer Registry since the launch of the website. We track referral sources for the registry, and to date, we have seen 98 individuals enrolled who were directed to us through the website since it launched. This equates to an average of 5 people a week, more than any other referral source. This rate increases to almost 7 per week if we look solely at the period since we started the promotion of the website in early August. As the site awareness expands, we will also be getting feedback from individual studies and are tracking email communication generated from the site as well. Discussion/Significance of Impact: The development of this website represents a significant step toward improving community engagement in clinical research at Duke. By providing a centralized platform for study information, results, and community feedback, we aim to foster a more informed and involved participant base, ultimately enhancing the impact and reach of our research.