CORE C: RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND COHORT MANAGEMENT ABSTRACT The Recruitment, Retention and Cohort Management Core will coordinate all aspects of creating and maintaining an enrolled Longitudinal Study Population of 10,000 dogs. In this complex nationwide study, effective communication with owners and veterinarians is paramount to facilitate accurate and timely submission of data in many forms. To ensure success, this core will be governed by the Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Kate Creevy, at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, along with Dr. Audrey Ruple from Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Daniel Promislow, the PI of the U19 Research Program, and Dr. Marta Castelhano from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. The Recruitment, Retention and Cohort Management Core will achieve its overall goals through a set of four specific aims.
Specific Aim 1 will enroll, manage and maintain a cohort with sufficient power to address the central hypotheses of the U19 including crafting a balance of dog breed, sex and age for the study segments, and representing the diversity of dog owners in the United States. Core C will create and distribute recruitment materials to veterinarians and dog owners; will coordinate enrollment requests and select participants; and will ensure Informed Consent is obtained from owners and archived. Through this Competing Revision, Specific Aim 2 will create a sustainable biobank that will serve both the DAP and researchers outside this project by making biospecimens from the well- characterized DAP cohorts available for new investigations over time.
Specific Aim 3 will establish and maintain protocols to facilitate efficient collection, tracking and processing of biospecimens and data with minimal burden on participants. Core C will monitor timely completion of study-related physical examinations, questionnaires and laboratory assessments and submission of data generated by these events. Finally, Specific Aim 4 will create the infrastructure needed to respond to questions and concerns from participating owners and veterinarians regarding completion of study-related tasks, and to oversee ongoing communication with and among participants.
