Challenges and facilitators of recruitment: Lessons learned from conducting a focused ethnography in a vulnerable rural population

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the challenges and facilitators of recruitment encountered in an ethnographic dissertation study of rural women with substance use disorders during the perinatal period. While the study is being conducted in the hospital setting post-delivery, potential participants who meet inclusion criteria are identified by practitioners through a number of perinatal practices within a wide geographic area as well as by inpatient social workers. Recruitment in this vulnerable and often socially disadvantaged population has been found to be challenging with regard to ethical approval, participant eligibility and availability, practice changes, and discrepancies in the recruitment process. The authors discuss these challenges and describe the process of practitioner engagement to facilitate participant recruitment and lessons learned in the process.