Black Health Co-OP / Recruitment & retention
Research begins
with a
relationship.
An invitation to be heard. A clearer path into research. A reason to stay connected—on your terms.
A place to begin
Your questions
belong here.
Black Health Co-OP is being built to connect Black communities and research teams through thoughtful education, recruitment, and continued engagement. The starting point is a conversation—not a commitment.
For individuals, families & community partners
Explore research.
Keep your voice.
Ask what research involves, discuss opportunities for community partnership, or tell us what makes participation easier—or harder—for your community.
General inquiry only. No active study directory or participant registry is connected to this page.
For investigators, sponsors, CROs & sites
Build the relationship.
Strengthen the study.
Scope a recruitment and retention engagement around your population, protocol, sites, timeline, and the realities participants navigate.
Deliverables, support arrangements, and responsibilities are agreed for each engagement.
The conviction
Black communities are more than a recruitment target.
We are partners in the questions that matter.
Our approach starts with disparities, racism, and the institutional experiences that shape how research is encountered. It asks research teams to listen, explain clearly, reduce avoidable burden, and remain accountable for the relationship.
ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTOGRAPHBefore enrollment
Clarity is part
of the care.
A study should be understandable before anyone is asked to participate. We help teams build education around the questions people actually bring.
What is this study asking of me?
Explain the purpose, activities, visit schedule, duration, eligibility criteria, and what happens next in language a person can use.
What are the risks, benefits, and costs?
Make uncertainty visible. Distinguish research from routine care and describe study-specific risks, potential benefits, costs, reimbursement, and compensation without promising an outcome.
Who will follow up—and how?
Name the responsible study contact, explain the referral process, and agree on appropriate communication channels and timing.
Retention / The relationship continues
After “yes,”
keep showing up.
Retention is where the promise becomes practice. Our proposed model supports continued connection through clear expectations, respectful follow-up, practical coordination, and a plan to return learning.
A familiar point of contact
Define who follows up, how questions are answered, and how participant concerns reach the study team.
Make room for daily life
Identify scheduling, travel, caregiving, technology, and other barriers. Coordinate support only where the study has approved arrangements.
Close the loop
Plan visit reminders, study updates, participant feedback, and accessible results communication. Respect a decision to pause or leave.
The participant pathway / Proposed operating model
One connected journey.
Five moments to get right.
Listen
Start with community questions, priorities, and the practical conditions of everyday life.
Explain
Translate the study’s purpose, eligibility, risks, time, costs, and compensation into clear language.
Connect
With permission, route an interested person to the appropriate study team. The team determines eligibility and obtains consent.
Stay present
Agree on contact preferences, coordinate approved reminders, and surface barriers before follow-up is lost.
Return learning
Plan accessible study updates and a plain-language results summary when findings are available and approved for sharing.
Each study needs an agreed workflow, appropriate approvals, defined data handling, and named responsibility at every handoff.
For research teams
Recruitment
with depth.
Retention
with intention.
Commission a study-specific engagement that connects community outreach with participant education, permission-based referrals, follow-up coordination, and actionable reporting.
ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTOGRAPH / FOLLOW-UP COORDINATIONDefine response times, approved scripts, contact preferences, escalation routes, and follow-up ownership before outreach begins.
Sponsors & pharmaceutical teams
Study-specific recruitment strategy, audience and channel plans, approved participant education, referral coordination, and reporting across a study or portfolio.
Contract research organizations
A defined recruitment and retention workstream for proposals, launches, or active studies, with roles, site handoffs, and escalation procedures scoped in advance.
Academic investigators
Recruitment planning for grant applications, survey and registry studies, and clinical research; plain-language materials, community partnership design, and evaluation support.
Health systems & research sites
Local outreach, participant education, contact pathways, visit coordination, and visibility into barriers between first interest and continued participation.
Ways to work together
Scope the support
your study needs.
Four engagement formats provide a starting point. The final scope should specify deliverables, staffing, approvals, timelines, reporting, and participant support responsibilities.
Enrollment Recovery Sprint
Identify where an active recruitment pathway is stalling. Review messaging, channels, site handoffs, and participant barriers; define a focused response.
Study Launch Package
Build the recruitment plan, plain-language materials, partner pathways, interest routing, and reporting approach before launch.
Recruitment & Retention Retainer
Provide a defined ongoing workstream for outreach, participant communication, follow-up coordination, and operational learning.
Portfolio Partnership
Create shared processes and study-specific adaptations across sites or studies, with consistent education, handoffs, and accountability.
Study areas may include cardiovascular health, diabetes and kidney disease, cancer, maternal health, aging, mental health, rare diseases, and prevention—subject to the study scope and team expertise.
Research intelligence
Measure the pathway.
Listen to the experience.
Agree on meaningful definitions before reporting begins. Pair recruitment and retention measures with what participants say about access, understanding, and follow-up.
Permission-based inquiries, education engagement, and questions requiring a response.
Referral acknowledgement, time to contact, and progression through agreed study stages.
Expected versus completed visits, follow-up status, and reasons for discontinuation when appropriately collected.
Communication preferences, reported barriers, feedback, and whether concerns were resolved.
Reporting framework only. No live campaign data, performance percentages, or enrollment outcomes are displayed. Study-level reporting should use appropriate access controls and agreed privacy protections.
Your choice / Your questions
A stronger invitation
leaves room
for “no.”
Participation should be informed and voluntary. Our approach treats a person’s ability to ask questions, decline, or leave as part of the relationship—not an obstacle to a recruitment goal.
Learn more: HHS guidance on informed consent ↗
Does an inquiry enroll me in a study?
No. Contacting the Co-OP is an inquiry, not enrollment, screening, or consent. This page does not list active studies. Any future opportunity should identify its study team, eligibility criteria, and next steps.
What should I know before deciding?
Ask about the study’s purpose, procedures, risks, possible benefits, time commitment, costs, compensation, privacy protections, and who to contact with questions. Research participation does not guarantee a personal health benefit.
Can I change my mind?
Participation should be voluntary. Ask the study team how to stop participation safely, what follow-up may be needed, and how information already collected will be handled. The consent materials should explain these details.
How will my information be handled?
Before any study-specific interest or screening information is collected, the pathway should explain what is collected, who receives it, why it is needed, and how it is protected. Please do not send medical records or sensitive health details through a general contact inquiry.
What does retention mean here?
Retention means making continued participation understandable and manageable for people who choose to remain. It should respect contact preferences, address practical barriers, and preserve a person’s freedom to leave.
Are transport, childcare, or compensation guaranteed?
No. Availability depends on the study and its approved arrangements. The Co-OP can help identify barriers and coordinate agreed support; the study team must explain exactly what is offered.
Build the next relationship
A conversation
can change
what comes next.
Bring your questions, your study, or your community partnership idea. Let’s define what meaningful access and sustained engagement should look like.
Please keep general inquiries free of medical records and sensitive personal health information.
