Checklist for keeping collaborators' interest

• If possible, book a physical space/office, or a phone line/fax number, or an e-mail address exclusive for the trial where collaborators can contact you.
• If necessary for the trial purposes, get a 24-hour on call (or fax) service to deal with trial queries (Consider costs of personnel, toll free phone calls, mobiles, beepers, etc.).
• A Web site dedicated to the trial (updated with information about trial progress on recruitment and follow-up, discussion forums, advises for main problems detected, etc.) would be helpful.
• Respond to collaborators’ queries/demands as soon as you can.

• Put together all trial material/documents (labelled packs/containers /booklets/forms) centres will need in the trial.
• Disseminate the protocol and the manual of operation to all collaborators (User-friendly, attractive and stylish material, with clear guidance on how to use them).
• Minimize research/practice differences, consider collaborators’ time demands, the need for extra/especial training, etc. (Pragmatic trials must have pragmatic management procedures).
• Avoid red tape barriers between the collaborating centres and you (toll free numbers, free post for returning forms, multiple mail shots).

• Schedule periodic meetings for all trial personnel at the centres/hospitals, as well as at regional, national, and international levels, if appropriate (Consider costs of travel, booking and organization).
• Distribute periodic progress reports and/or trial newsletters with updated information of patient recruitment and follow-up, news, comments, advises on how to deal with problems systematically detected during the conduction of the trial, etc. (Consider costs of document preparation, printing, mailing, etc).

• Perform site visits to centres where particular difficulties arise (involve those key people of your team that can help/solve the problem: technician, programmer, nurse, social worker, physician, etc.).
• Phone, e-mail, fax, or mail regularly all the collaborating centres during the trial.
• Deal with queries when they arise rather than waiting till the end of the trial.

• Consider incentives for achieving targets such as certificates, mugs, pens, posters, congratulation cards, invitations to participate in meetings, etc.
• Give involvement and/or credit in publications at both, personal and institutional level (Preparation of reports and papers during the course of the trial, execution of ancillary studies, investigators’ participation in the analysis of results and in writing or presenting papers concerning the trial, recognition and acknowledgements, etc.).

Back to Collaborating centres retention

This page was last updated March 2009.