Table 4.

Summary of trial recruitment intervention co-design workshop discussion with maternity healthcare professionals and maternity service users: workshop 2

Inform recruiters that research is part of clinical care, explain the importance of maternity care research and give the rationale for trial 5.1 Information about health consequences (linked subthemes—the ‘right’ participants and benefit of experience and acceptability of the intervention and commitment to the research)	• Research should be considered part of clinical care • COVID, through news and social media, has helped push importance of clinical research to the fore front • Work is now being done to promote research as part clinical care—research feels more embedded in clinical practice than before COVID—this needs to continue as both branches of same tree • Challenging and burdensome for research staff to educate clinical colleagues that women deserve research opportunities • Helpful to show a direct link between research and clinical care
Remind recruiters that all eligible women should be offered the chance to participate 5.3 Information about social and environmental consequences (linked subthemes—‘the ‘right’ participants and benefit of experience and acceptability of the intervention)	• Really good idea—research invitation should be embedded like flu vaccine or whooping cough vaccine • Need to be conscious of this—it is hard to talk about and hard to admit • Healthcare services should prioritise translated/plain English versions of all medical information is available to women—so that if communication is difficult, she has something to go home with and discuss with others • Educate the research team to understand exactly why the trial is important and why it is a better option to offer it to everyone • Particularly relevant for bereaved women—participating might give some meaning to their experience • Mandatory training could be good delivery mode - reenforces research as part of clinical care, everybody is offered the same health advice, they should be offered research participation (i.e. all staff receive it, does not feel personal, gives people time to ask questions, not trial specific, just promoting awareness) • Mandatory training is relentless • Messages needs to come from senior staff—clinical leaders rather than researchers • Could have big campaign using up to date social media, i.e. Instagram and TikTok
Remind recruiters that it is OK to invite women by just giving them information 11.2 Reduce negative emotions (linked subthemes—planning and preparation and being visible and approach to recruiting)	• Really helpful as there is a lot of pressure to recruit to targets—ongoing funding and posts demand on accruals • Pressure to recruit and limited time leads recruiters to approach only those they believe more likely to take part • Just giving information increases likelihood of recruitment • Ok if they decline—shows you have given them an informed choice • Good for women to receive information without feeling pressured to participate • Would not recruit successfully just by giving information—would need to follow up • Important to give information that is accessible to all women (languages, literacy levels, etc.) • Instagram influencers are highly regarded source of medical information for women in pregnancy—good medium to communicate research message through
Invite recruiters to share anecdotes of inviting women to participate in a trial during emotionally sensitive situations 5.6 Information about emotional consequences (linked subthemes—approach to recruiting and the right participants and acceptability of the intervention)	• Really helpful idea • Daunting when first starting to recruit—speaking with person who knows how to discuss topic makes it much easier • Good to have training on how to speak to someone in this situation • This often happens informally as every situation is different—maybe just space and time with colleagues? • Midwifing the woman—she needs us, precious relationships to nurture • Audio clips (WhatsApp notes) have been useful maybe this could be developed?
Invite previous trial participants to share their experiences of being invited to a maternity care trial 5.2 Salience of consequences (linked subthemes—the ‘right’ participants and acceptability of the intervention)	• Really important—why do not we do this more?—good opportunity to celebrate and share the findings • Does not necessarily need to be trial specific • Clinical midwives invite women back to share experiences in antenatal/postnatal groups • Women that have been through trials are our greatest asset in encouraging others to participate • People really crave human face-to-face or online experience—use Instagram? • Suggestion—using Teams or Zoom setting (similar to workshop) would be good • Current approach is old fashioned (giving leaflets, etc.) people do not communicate that way anymore