The Peer-Based Retention of People Who Use Drugs in Rural Research

Participants the peer-driven retention arm will receive video-based and in-person training from Retention Specialists on how to encourage study retention. Participants will watch a 7 minute video that standardizes retention messages. A brief face-to-face conversation with the Retention Specialist follows the video viewing to answer questions and reinforce video messages. At the end of the training, participants receive information about their recruit(s) who consented to release their information to their recruiters. Peers remind their enrolled "study buddy" to attend their scheduled follow up assessments. Participants meet with a study Retention Specialist by phone or in person, at 3 and 9 months after enrollment to answer questions about peer retention strategies and remind participants of their peers' contact information and follow-up schedules.

Control arm: At NROI enrollment, all participants provide detailed information to assist with retention and/or contact for future research, and contact information for up to three people who should know how to reach the participant if contact information changes. Participants randomized to receive the standard retention strategy are contacted at the mid-point of each follow-up interval (i.e., at 3-month post enrollment and 9-months post-enrollment) to update locator information and remind them about their follow-up appointment date. Study associates contact the participant using their contact information and, if not successful, will try to reach one of their contacts in the locator form.