Social Media Listening in Improving Clinical Trial Recruitment in Patients With Cancer
![]() |
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03408561 |
Recruitment Status :
Withdrawn
(No accrual)
First Posted : January 24, 2018
Last Update Posted : September 17, 2019
|
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Breast Carcinoma Colon Carcinoma Kidney Carcinoma Lymphoma Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Prostate Carcinoma | Other: Internet-Based Intervention Other: Survey Administration | Not Applicable |
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
I. Examine the feasibility (acceptance among University of Southern California [USC] Norris study team members and Twitter users in Los Angeles [LA] county) of targeted social media listening (SML) via Twitter as a tool for enhancing recruitment to cancer trials.
II. Gain preliminary data on the impact (i.e., numbers recruited versus projected accrual compared to historic recruitment) of targeted social media listening (SML) as a tool for enhancing recruitment to cancer trials among Twitter users in LA county.
III. Estimate the effect size of the number of people enrolled associated with the use of targeted social media listening (SML) via Twitter as a tool for enhancing recruitment to cancer trials.
OUTLINE:
Patients who mention specific cancer disease keywords and/or hashtags are identified and receive a message via Twitter. Patients are then contacted for recruitment into a clinical trial.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 0 participants |
Allocation: | N/A |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Health Services Research |
Official Title: | The Use of Social Media Listening for Targeted Recruitment of Twitter Users in LA County in Cancer Trials Compared to Historic Recruitment Data: A Mixed-Methods Study |
Actual Study Start Date : | November 8, 2017 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | December 31, 2018 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | December 31, 2018 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Health Services Research (message via Twitter)
Patients who mention specific cancer disease keywords and/or hashtags are identified and receive a message via Twitter. Patients are then contacted for recruitment into a clinical trial.
|
Other: Internet-Based Intervention
Receive message via Twitter Other: Survey Administration Ancillary studies |
- User acceptance and satisfaction with social media (SM) as a recruitment method [ Time Frame: Up to 14 months ]A questionnaire will be used assess the acceptance of and satisfaction with SM recruitment method among University of Southern California (USC) Norris study team members and Twitter users in Los Angeles (LA) county.
- Accrual rate [ Time Frame: Up to 14 months ]To be determined by comparing monthly actual versus (vs.) projected rate of recruitment for the trial disease groups (i.e., non-small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, lymphoma) using generalized estimating equations, accounting for intra-disease random effects and trends across the 12 months (9 months exposure per trial). These results will then be put into context of the historic recruitment for these diseases at the center.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | Child, Adult, Older Adult |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- TRIAL INCLUSION:
- Focus on one of the following disease categories: non-small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, lymphoma
- Be a phase 1 trial in expansion, phase 2, or 3
- Be interventional trials
- Recruit in English
- Be Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved and open to accrual at USC Norris
- Recruit for at least 9 months at the point of enrollment
- Set monthly accrual target >= 1/ and annual accrual target >= 12
- PATIENT INCLUSION:
- Will include all prospective trial participants in this study that come from Twitter in response of our SM recruitment interventions, provided they meet the specific trial's eligibility criteria
Exclusion Criteria:
- TRIAL EXCLUSION:
- Phase 1 trials in dose escalation
- PATIENT EXCLUSION:
- Persons who do not meet the eligibility criteria of any of the trials open to accrual will be excluded from participation, and persons who may be eligible (e.g., disease/histology, stage, prior treatment) but do not meet additional trial-specific requirements such as insurance or allergy to drug)

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03408561
United States, California | |
USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center | |
Los Angeles, California, United States, 90033 |
Principal Investigator: | Thomas Buchanan, MD | University of Southern California |
Responsible Party: | University of Southern California |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03408561 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
0S-17-7 NCI-2017-02145 ( Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program) ) 0S-17-7 ( Other Identifier: USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center ) P30CA014089 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) |
First Posted: | January 24, 2018 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | September 17, 2019 |
Last Verified: | September 2019 |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.: | No |
Carcinoma Breast Neoplasms Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung Prostatic Neoplasms Carcinoma, Renal Cell Kidney Neoplasms Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Breast Diseases Skin Diseases Lung Neoplasms |
Respiratory Tract Neoplasms Thoracic Neoplasms Lung Diseases Respiratory Tract Diseases Carcinoma, Bronchogenic Bronchial Neoplasms Genital Neoplasms, Male Urogenital Neoplasms Prostatic Diseases Adenocarcinoma Urologic Neoplasms Kidney Diseases Urologic Diseases |