What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to identify barriers and facilitators in recruiting care home residents for vaccine trials.

February 8, 2026Age and Ageing0 citations

3839 A scoping review of randomised controlled trials of vaccines that recruited care home residents: lessons for future trials

SSSelvarani SubbarayanUniversity of Aberdeen ISI Smith-DoddDepartment of Health and Aged Care GNG NicolsonDepartment of Health and Aged Care

Key Points

The aim is to identify barriers and facilitators in recruiting care home residents for vaccine trials.
Conducted a scoping review using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
Reviewed five databases from 1990 to 2025 for relevant trials.
Independently screened articles and extracted data by three authors.
701 articles identified, with 20 studies included from 11 countries.
Total of 7479 participants recruited across trials, primarily for influenza vaccines.
Screen failure and dropout rates were 70% and 8%, respectively.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Older care home (CH) residents are particularly vulnerable to infections and often experience adverse outcomes. Despite this group being prioritised for vaccination, no COVID-19 vaccine trials recruited CH residents. Given that the social and biological characteristics of CH residents may influence vaccine effectiveness, it is crucial to test vaccines in this population. Methods The Widening Access to Trials in Care Homes (WATCH) project was established to develop best practice guidance on designing and conducting vaccine trials in the CH population. As part of this project, a scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology to identify vaccine trials that recruited CH residents and reported recruitment challenges and strategies. A comprehensive search was carried out in five databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library, from 1990 to 2025. Three authors independently screened articles and extracted data. Results are reported as descriptive summaries. Results We retrieved 701 articles and included 20 studies from 11 countries. 7479 participants from 238 CHs were recruited to influenza (N = 17) or pneumococcal (N = 3) vaccine trials. Median sample size was 270 and the weighted mean age was 82.3 years. Screen failure and dropout rate averaged 70% (seven studies) and 8% (five studies), respectively. The two most common reasons for screen failure were residents’ declining participation (46%) and not meeting eligibility criteria (27%). Death (21%) was the most common reason for dropout. Barriers identified include eligibility criteria and recruitment, consent and assent issues, ethical and regulatory concerns, CH-related factors, and study time frame and logistical factors. Facilitators identified include recruitment and data collection methods, consent and assent factors, and collaboration with CHs. Conclusion Our review is the first to report quantitative and qualitative evidence on barriers and facilitators to recruiting CH residents in vaccine trials. The findings will assist researchers in planning future vaccine trials in this population.

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