14 - Characterization of Users of an Online Human Research Protections Training Program for Community Research Partners

Background:  Previous research has identified barriers to community research partners completing required human research protections (HRP) training. Standard training required by HRP programs is often poorly suited to community research partners’ limited familiarity with research and research terminology, their specific research roles/required tasks, and their reading levels.

Methods:  The goal of this study is to characterize individuals who have registered for and completed CIRTification, a free online HRP training program tailored for community research partners, available since March 2020. All learners submit information at the time of registration, including: institutional affiliation; research characteristics (title, roles in research, and years involved in research) and demographic information (race, ethnicity, age). The system also tracks whether the enrollee completed the program; % of pages completed; dates of enrollment and completion; # of sessions the user has engaged with the training; and language of training (English, Spanish or Haitian Creole). A little over 4 years ( 51 months) of data were downloaded from the system into Excel and analyzed to present descriptive summary statistics on institutional profiles, learner characteristics, learner research roles and experience, and user experience. A primary research question of interest is the impact of formal institutional adoption of the program on number of users.

Results:  Between January 1, 2020, and April 1, 2024, 5459 individuals have registered for CIRTification. Of these, 4035 completed the training program. Of these completers, 2210 (54.8%) are affiliated with one of the now 49 institutions that have formally adopted CIRTification as an acceptable HRP training program for community partners. 3798 (94.13%) have completed CIRTification in English and 237 (5.87%) in Spanish. The average length of time from enrollment to completion is 9 days. 2147 (53.21%) learners who completed the program reported no previous research experience, and 1351 noted that they would have a role in obtaining informed consent from research participants. Enrollment of individuals who complete the training has consistently and exponentially risen over time. During the first 12 months of availability, an average of 8 individuals/month completed CIRTification; during the last 12 months of availability, an average of 120 individuals/month completed the training.

Limitations: We have no information about the studies that individuals who complete CIRTification work on and the impact of training on HRP knowledge. We can’t characterize those individuals who are NOT using CIRTification, e.g., community partners working with academic institutions that are not aware of or don’t allow alternative training. We also don’t know reasons for non-completion, although we hypothesize that many of these individuals are academic principal investigators or HRPP professionals exploring CIRTification.

Discussion:  CIRTification users are diverse in terms of institutional affiliations, age, race/ethnicity (not reported), and research experience and roles. Formal adoption by academic research institutions has likely led to significant increases in usage, although community organizations also use CIRTification. Understanding the characteristics of individuals using CIRTification and their interaction informs development, improvement, and dissemination of appropriate programs to meet the training needs of community research partners, research teams, and HRPPs. Ongoing and future research includes exploring institutional practices and policies related to HRP training for community partners and the impact of CIRTification on HRP knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.