Abstract 628: Enhancing data integrity in contact registries: Methods for preventing fraudulent enrollment
Authors: IIeana Guzman, Nazleen Del Rio, Brooke Hensel, Eduardo Ibarra, Carolina Aristizabal, John Luque, Rosa Barahona, Diana Wilkie, Mariana C. Stern, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Sandra Suther, Fern Webb
Journal: Cancer Research (2025)

Abstract Significant barriers to engaging underrepresented communities in cancer research are the limited access to information, misinformation, mistrust, and, at times, the absence of invitations to participate. Contact registries play a vital role in connecting community members with opportunities in cancer health research, they ensure that more people are informed and included in these efforts. With the use of contact registries, participants gain access to studies aligned with their interests; and have the freedom to choose to participate or not. While contact registries enable the large-scale recruitment of diverse participants, they also have a higher likelihood of attracting fraudulent enrollments. The likelihood drastically increases when an incentive is available upon enrollment. On July 2021 the Florida-California Cancer Research, Education, and Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center, Community Outreach Core (COC), developed a contact registry designed to engage Black/African American (B/AA) and/or Hispanic/Latinos/a (H/L) individuals in ongoing research studies conducted across our bicoastal center institutions which includes the Florida Agricultural &amp; Mechanical University, the University of Florida, and the University of Southern California. Due to the increased challenges of internet-based recruitment, the study team has implemented methods to filter out fraudulent applications and confirm participant eligibility. The methods include 1) using a REDCap software feature (CAPTCHA) to prevent bots from enrolling, 2) individually reviewing each registry application for any errors, 3) checking for duplicate IP addresses, 4) Using external resources such as voter registration information, social media, and/or Google to verify identity information; and lastly, 5) calling each potential applicant and having them verify the information they provided. Each application is color-coded to identify whether it has been approved (green), denied (red), or pending (purple). Although internet-based recruitment poses a great risk to a study, it in turn provides a time and cost-effective option, allows for recruitment from multiple geographical areas, and facilitates the recruitment of a large number of participants. As of November 8th, 2024, 1, 408 participants have enrolled in the registry, representing 70% of the 2, 000 enrollment goal. Based on our experience with internet-based recruitment for contact registries, we recommend the following) Implement methods to verify applicant information 2) Utilize security features within the registry application. 3) Incorporate a phone screening process. 4) Consider leveraging external resources, such as Whitepages, for information verification. 5) Maintain detailed records of the verification process. Citation Format: IIeana Guzman, Nazleen Del Rio, Brooke Hensel, Eduardo Ibarra, Carolina Aristizabal, John Luque, Rosa Barahona, Diana Wilkie, Mariana C. Stern, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Sandra Suther, Fern Webb. Enhancing data integrity in contact registries: Methods for preventing fraudulent enrollment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 628.