Retention is a major challenge in international trials, and has been recognised as a global research priority through a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership. The Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials’ (SPIRIT) guidelines define non-retention as ‘instances where participants are prematurely “off-study” (i.e., consent withdrawn or lost to follow-up) so outcome data cannot be obtained from them.
Trial retention may be particularly challenging in low resource settings where patients may have to travel long distances to return to hospital or take further time out of work where they are already financially vulnerable following their index operation. Minimising burden on trial participants during trial follow-up and identifying culturally-attuned methods for encouraging ongoing participation may reduce risk of both risk of attrition bias and the cost randomised studies. However, there is insufficient evidence to make recommendations for global surgery studies.
FEATHER is an investigation using qualitative methods embedded within several international multi-centre randomised trials (a study within a trial or SWAT).
Key Documents
You can view the FEATHER protocol here.
FEATHER Topic Guide – Patients can be accessed here.
FEATHER Topic Guide – Site Investigator can be accessed here.
FEATHER Patient Identification Log A can be accessed here.
FEATHER Patient Identification Log B can be accessed here.
FEATHER PIS – Adult can be accessed here.
FEATHER PIS – Stakeholder can be accessed here.
