Category: Uncategorized

Behavioral Economic Strategies to Improve Enrollment Rates in Clinical Research: An Embedded Recruitment Pilot Trial

We often try many ways to increase enrollment and retention in clinical research, usually without testing whether they are effective or not. Here, we rigorously tested behavioral economic strategies and found that by targeting norms about participating in research and providing financial incentives in the form of a lottery, enrollment and retention improved.

View the article here: https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/47121/accepted

The ENABLE Lab is proud to congratulate Graduate Student Brittney Greene for her recipience of the Psychological Association of Western New York Scholarship!

Check out the link to see Brittney’s feature and learn more about the scholarship: https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/psychology/news-events/celebration.html

Check out Dr. Rebecca Ashare’s feature in UBNow discussing our lab’s recently published article, “Social Determinants of Health Associated with How Cannabis is Obtained and Used in Patients with Cancer Receiving Care a Cancer Treatment Center in Pennsylvania,” co-authored by ENABLE Lab member Esther Turay!

Click the link to view the UBNow article: https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2023/05/ashare-access-to-cannabis.html

ENABLE Lab member Brittney Greene’s abstract entitled: “Examining Behavioral Economic Strategies to Improve Recruitment and Retention Rates across Four Randomized Controlled Trials” will be recognized as a Meritorious Abstract at the upcoming meeting for the Society of Behavioral Medicine in April 2023!

A recent publication from the ENABLE lab sheds light on how critical drivers of health disparities (such as race, gender, and income) are associated with where patients with cancer obtain cannabis, what forms they use, and what may influence their purchase decisions. As rates of cannabis use rise in patients with cancer, identifying opportunities to reduce health disparities will be essential.

Ashare, R., Turay, E., Worster, B., Wetherill, R., Bidwell, L., Doucette, A., & Meghani, S. (in press). Social Determinants of Health Associated with How Cannabis is Obtained and Used in Patients with Cancer Receiving Care a Cancer Treatment Center in Pennsylvania. Cannabis.

ENABLE Lab member Esther Turay was awarded a SUNY/OMH Mental Health Scholarship which supports students in mental health fields. This is a prestigious and well-deserved honor. Check out her feature in UBNow:

https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2023/04/mental-health-scholarships.html

Learn more about the program here:

https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/

The UB Enhancing Research in Behavioral Health (ENABLE) lab, directed by Dr. Rebecca Ashare, is committed to advancing research and intervention methods aimed at improving overall quality of life for people with medical and psychiatric conditions. We do this by helping people improve health behaviors and by addressing health disparities through innovative science and community engaged approaches.

We are also devoted to education and training the next generation of scientists. 

Take a look around and feel free to reach out with any questions!