Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41965248›Full record

ArticleAge and ageing2026

Barriers and facilitators to recruiting older adult care home residents into clinical trials of medicines and vaccines: a scoping review.

Selvarani Subbarayan, Imogen Smith-Dodd, Gabriel Nicolson, Jennifer K Burton, Janet T Scott, Seshadri S Vasan, Susan D Shenkin, Roy L Soiza, WATCH Consortium

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Age and ageing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Selvarani SubbarayanAgeing Clinical and Experimental Research Group, The Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0322-9244
Imogen Smith-DoddAgeing Clinical and Experimental Research Group, The Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Gabriel NicolsonAgeing Clinical and Experimental Research Group, The Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Jennifer K BurtonAcademic Geriatric Medicine, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4752-6988
Janet T ScottResearch, Development and Innovation, NHS Highland, Inverness, UK.
Seshadri S VasanAberdeen Royal Infirmary, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7326-3210
Susan D ShenkinAgeing and Health, and Advanced Care Research Centre, Usher Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7375-4776
Roy L SoizaAgeing Clinical and Experimental Research Group, The Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1397-4272
WATCH Consortium

Funding

Legal and General PLC as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmeModerna under its Vaccine Innovation Fund VIFC2024005
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionExcluding Care Home (CH) residents from clinical trials of medicines and vaccines has led to an evidence gap. Findings from younger adults may not be generalisable to CH residents with frailty and dementia. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate pharmacological treatments directly in CH residents to assess their safety and efficacy.

methodsAs part of the Widening Access to Trials in Care Homes project, we conducted a scoping review using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology to identify barriers and facilitators to recruiting CH residents into clinical trials of medicinal products. We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library (1990 to January 2025). Quantitative data on screen failures and dropouts, and qualitative data on trial teams' real-world experiences and stakeholder perspectives were extracted, synthesised into themes and presented as descriptive summaries.

resultsFrom 14,301 records, eight articles were included (2002 to 2021) from the USA (N = 4), UK (N = 3) and France (N = 1). Six were RCTs, and two were a qualitative sub-study and a questionnaire survey. Screen failure rates ranged from 18% to 96%. Identified themes of barriers and facilitators were study design, selection criteria, recruitment methods, data collection methods, participant retention, CH resident and family-related factors, CH facility and staff-related factors, healthcare professional involvement, logistical and operational factors, consent-related factors, ethical and regulatory considerations, insurance and trial costs, and generalisability of trial results.

conclusionsOur review specifically identified key barriers and facilitators to recruiting CH residents into pharmacological trials. These findings can guide trial planning and support evidence-based care for this vulnerable population.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicHomes for the AgedNursing HomesPatient SelectionVaccinesAgedHumansNursing Home ResidentsVaccinesbarriers and facilitatorscare home residentscare homesnursing homesolder peoplerandomised controlled trialsvaccine trials

Identifiers

PMID41965248
PMCPMC13070390

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.