This workshop will present efficient recruitment and tracking approaches to maximizing retention.. Follow-up procedures will be discussed in relation to: 1) Outreach and Recruitment 2) Initial Consent & Baseline Interview 3) Tracking & Follow-up 4) Research Team Structure & Training 5) Ethical Considerations

Presenters will draw examples from the New York Housing Study, a Federally funded longitudinal experiment that achieved an 87% follow-up rate over four years with a highly mobile population of 225 homeless mentally ill adults. Specific strategies and skills applicable to a wide range of studies will be presented in an interactive workshop format in which participants will be given an opportunity to apply these skills in small group exercises featuring different scenarios from community-based research.

The discussion will open with a description of the New York Housing Study protocols and their applicability to other longitudinal studies. Beginning with outreach and recruitment, we will introduce strategies that help establish the research team's presence in the community, emphasizing ways to develop cooperative relationships with service agencies and local organizations. This will be followed by a demonstration of user-friendly approaches to designing and administering consent forms that enhance both rapport and follow-up rates. Next, we will discuss designing a tracking system that facilitates the effective management and documentation of participant contact. We will share our protocols and review our procedures for maintaining successful ongoing contact with study participants, including the use of incentives, an open-door policy, and extensive search efforts.

Additionally, the workshop will provide recommendations for organizational structure, including how to recruit, train, and retain qualified staff. Rotating tasks, shared caseloads, and weekly team debriefings will be offered as potential solutions to avoiding staff burnout and fostering a sense of continuity for study participants.. The workshop will end with a discussion of ethical considerations related to longitudinal research, including approaches to maintaining trust, managing professional boundaries without sacrificing rapport, protecting confidentiality, and addressing the emotional impact of long-term relationships between participants and research staff.

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will have become familiar with successful tracking strategies and will be able to identify the core elements of an effective approach to follow-up. It is intended that participants will be able to implement these practices and procedures within their own longitudinal studies, thereby limiting attrition and improving research outcomes