Although Iowa ranks high in the percentage of residents 65 years of age and older, researchers often have difficulty recruiting people from these age groups. Almost two years ago, the University of Iowa Center on Aging developed a registry of research volunteers—Seniors Together in Aging Research (STAR)—to help connect individuals interested in participating in research studies with UI investigators looking for volunteers.
STAR currently has more than 700 participants, but there is still a need for volunteers. Daniel Gerwin, MSW, clinical social worker at the Center on Aging for University of Iowa Health Care, talks about the STAR registry:
Who can become a member of STAR?
Anyone age 50 or older is eligible to be in STAR. Ideally, we are looking for people who live within a two-hour driving radius of The University of Iowa.
Are there any pre-existing illness or medications that would not allow someone to participate in STAR?
Nobody is excluded from STAR on the basis of their health condition because University of Iowa researchers are looking for all kinds of people—there's a huge bevy of studies going on at the University, so if you have a particular illness, there might be a study specifically about that illness and they may be looking for you. You can be completely healthy, have no medical conditions of any kind, or you can have a variety of medical conditions and still join STAR.
Are there educational benefits for enrolling in STAR, even if the person may not qualify for current studies under investigation?
Absolutely. You'll receive periodic mailings about different kinds of research projects at the University so you're be able to read about the latest science every time you get a mailing about a given study. You'll find out about new research at the university. It's an interesting thing, even if you choose not to participate in the majority of the studies, you're still hearing about them, and I think that that is educational and adventurous to anybody.
How do participants find out about current STAR projects?
If you're a participant in STAR, you'll receive mailings for a study any time that you are potentially eligible to be in one. If you qualify for a study, you'll find out about it by picking up your mail. We send regular mailings out to any STAR member who qualifies for a study. You'll need to read your mail to find out about the projects you might be eligible for.
Does research staff contact the STAR member if they qualify for a research project, or do STAR participants volunteer for research they are interested in?
Researchers are not going to contact STAR volunteers directly. We are governed by the Institutional Review Board at The University of Iowa, the IRB, and one of the requirements that the IRB maintains is complete confidentiality and security. So to protect the confidentiality of STAR volunteers, no one has access to those names except for the people who run the STAR registry, like myself. When a University of Iowa researcher is looking to recruit someone, we get the recruitment materials and send the materials to STAR volunteers who most likely qualify for that study. Then the STAR volunteer, if interested in being in a study, will contact the researcher.
What type of research is considered typical for STAR volunteers?
There's really nothing that's typical. The University of Iowa has such a wide array of research going on at any given time that you're going to have ma research that may be medical in nature. Maybe they're going do a CAT scan, or an MRI, or maybe a blood draw, or test a new flu vaccine.
You'll also have research that is, say, from the Department of Psychology and they're going to want to interview you, or maybe send you a questionnaire to fill out.
Or if there's something through the Engineering Department—maybe they want you to test the new driving simulator, or wear a vest with all sensors and ask you to walk around the room.
There's a huge diversity of studies going on at the University, meaning that in the end, there's really nothing that's typical.
Are STAR participants paid for their contribution to the research?
That's going to depend on any given study. The majority of studies offer some form of compensation because they recognize that as a STAR volunteer, you are donating your time. In addition, there is generally reimbursement for travel expenses. Some research grants are able to reimburse people for parking expenses. But again, it's not always necessary to travel because sometimes it's going to be an interview done by phone or by mail.
If someone over the age of 50 wanted to become a member of STAR, who should they contact?
They can call us on our toll-free number, 866-393-4603, e-mail us at coa-star@uiowa.edu or visit http://www.centeronaging.uiowa.edu/star.shtml. |
