Inviting Potential Participants

This page describes processes taken by GP Practices to invite potential participants. The study team are happy to help with any of these steps.

Table of contents

  1. Preparation
  2. Identifying potential participants to be invited
  3. Preparing a list of addresses
  4. Sending mailings on Docmail

Preparation

The following steps are taken in preparation for GP Practices inviting potential participants:

  • SIV: GP Practices undergo a Site Initiation Visit (SIV).
  • Docmail: GP Practices are asked for a single contact who will be given access to Docmail.
  • Headed paper: GP Practices are asked whether they would like their headed paper used on the mailings. If so, they will be asked to send headed paper to the study team to include it in the Docmail mailing pack.
  • Providing invitation materials: GP Practices are sent a list of potential participants and a template Docmail Address List to be filled in.

Identifying potential participants to be invited

GP Practices use the list of potential participants provided by the study team to identify potential participants to be invited. The list is called <GP Practice>_Potential_Participant_List.

Not all the potential participants on the list will be eligible for the SAFER Wearables Study. GP Practices identify which potential participants are to be invited by removing those potential participants who are ineligible for the study because they are:

  • no longer a patient at the practice, or
  • receiving palliative care, or
  • known to have died, or
  • identified as living in non-private accommodation (including a nursing, care, or residential home).

Only the remaining potential participants will be invited. The refined list will not be shared with the study team.

Preparing a list of addresses

Next, GP Practices insert the details of the potential participants to be invited into the template Docmail Address List (named <GP Practice>_Docmail_AddressList_). This is done by replacing each of the entries for rows 3-44 in the following columns:

  • First name
  • Surname (NB: don’t use ‘Full name’)
  • Address 1
  • Address 2
  • Address 3
  • Address 4
  • Address 5 (NB: don’t use ‘Address 6’)
  • Custom 1: This contains the mailing date. It should be adjusted as necessary.
  • Custom 2: (only used if headed paper is not supplied) This contains the GP Practice name. It should be adjusted as necessary.
  • Custom 3: (only used if headed paper is not supplied) This contains the GP Practice address (on one line, comma separated). It should be adjusted as necessary.
  • Custom 4: This contains the GP name. It should be adjusted as necessary.
  • Custom 5: This contains each potential participant’s Invite ID. It should not be edited.

Please note:

  • The template Docmail Address List contains enough rows for all of the potential participants. Any rows which are not required (because some potential participants are found to be ineligible) should be deleted.
  • There is a row already completed for a potential participant named ‘Peter Charlton’. This should not be edited.

Sending mailings on Docmail

GP Practices prepare mailings on Docmail as follows:

  • GP Practices receive an email containing login details.
  • In docmail, create a mailing as follows:
    • Under ‘Mailing options’:
      • The product type is ‘A4 document’
      • The mailing name is ‘SAFER Wearables GP Practice Name’ (where ‘GP Practice Name’ is replaced with the practice name)
      • The delivery service is ‘standard delivery’
    • Under ‘Add documents’:
      • Add a Mail pack from the library
      • Select either SAFER Wearables Mail Pack v.1.3, or if using headed paper, then select SAFER Wearables Mail Pack v.1.3 - <GP Practice Name>.
      • This should result in five documents.
    • Under ‘Add addresses’:
      • Select ‘Upload addresses’
      • When asked for an ‘Address file’, upload the Docmail Address List (which now contains the details of potential participants).
      • The remaining fields should be left on their default settings: (i) File contains column headers should be ticked; (ii) File format is CSV; (iii) Mapping is automatic.
      • When asked to ‘Set address name format’, select ‘First name surname’.
    • Under ‘Print and post’, select:
      • Print options: Black and White Duplex (Double sided)
      • Despatch: As soon as possible

GP Practices should email the study team to notify them that a mailing has been set up (stating how many potential participants are being invited). The study team will then approve it.

Copyright © 2021 Peter Charlton.