MP30-07 CONDUCTING UROLOGY RESEARCH DURING COVID-19: SOCIAL MEDIA-BASED CROWDSOURCING OF URINE SAMPLES FOR BIOMARKER DEVELOPMENT (2022)

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 May 2022MP30-07 CONDUCTING UROLOGY RESEARCH DURING COVID-19: SOCIAL MEDIA-BASED CROWDSOURCING OF URINE SAMPLES FOR BIOMARKER DEVELOPMENT Elijah Ward, Sarah Bartolone, Alexander Varabulea, Joseph Janicki, Hannah Peters, Kenneth Peters, Nitya Abraham, Melissa Laudano, Christopher Smith, Bernadette Zwaans, Michael Chancellor, and Laura Lamb Elijah WardElijah Ward More articles by this author , Sarah BartoloneSarah Bartolone More articles by this author , Alexander VarabuleaAlexander Varabulea More articles by this author , Joseph JanickiJoseph Janicki More articles by this author , Hannah PetersHannah Peters More articles by this author , Kenneth PetersKenneth Peters More articles by this author , Nitya AbrahamNitya Abraham More articles by this author , Melissa LaudanoMelissa Laudano More articles by this author , Christopher SmithChristopher Smith More articles by this author , Bernadette ZwaansBernadette Zwaans More articles by this author , Michael ChancellorMichael Chancellor More articles by this author , and Laura LambLaura Lamb More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002573.07AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Conductingresearch during the COVID-19 pandemic remains a challenge for the entireurologic community. We hereby report our effort to use social media-basedcrowdsourcing methodology to recruit participants from the entire UnitedStates, including Alaska and Hawaii. We developed a novel research model thatcan engage multiple stakeholders and allows for fast and broad participationfor urine biomarker development towards a diagnostic tool for InterstitialCystitis (IC). METHODS: We partneredwith a patient advocacy group, the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA), toaid in recruitment efforts. A website with study information and links to theHIPAA-compliant enrollment questionnaire was created. The study was advertisedthough Google, and Beaumont’s and ICA’s social media using Twitter, emails,YouTube videos, Facebook posts, websites, and TikTok. Enrolled participants wereshipped at-home collection kits containing urine cups with preservative, a prepaidreturn mailing envelope, instructions, and survey materials. RESULTS: National publicparticipation was strong, and enrollment was closed within three months. Menand women of all age groups and ethnicities enrolled in the study, representingall 50 United States. Currently, 1,211 crowdsourced samples have been returned,including 677 asymptomatic control samples. Surprisingly, most participantsaccessed the website via mobile devices, as opposed to via desktop computer ortablet. Potential participants were referred to the website primarily by directlinks (i.e. email links), with other referring sites being Facebook, GoogleAdvertisements, the ICA’s website, and Beaumont Hospital’s website. CONCLUSIONS: Following COVID-19 safety guidelines, we conducted a nationwide crowdsource collection ofurine samples. Social media and web-based recruitment tools were used torecruit participants. Having a website user-friendly on mobile devices wasessential. Nontraditional recruitment methods, such as TikTok videos,encouraged study participation. Utilizing various social media platforms, it ispossible to crowdsource urine samples from across the United States quickly,economically, and most importantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, safely. Source of Funding: Thiswork was supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense forHealth Affairs through the Technology/Therapeutic Development Research Programunder Award No. W81XWH-19-1-0288. The opinions, interpretations, conclusions,and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsedby the Department of Defense © 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 207Issue Supplement 5May 2022Page: e480 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Elijah Ward More articles by this author Sarah Bartolone More articles by this author Alexander Varabulea More articles by this author Joseph Janicki More articles by this author Hannah Peters More articles by this author Kenneth Peters More articles by this author Nitya Abraham More articles by this author Melissa Laudano More articles by this author Christopher Smith More articles by this author Bernadette Zwaans More articles by this author Michael Chancellor More articles by this author Laura Lamb More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...