Biobank participants’ preferences for research updates: Tailoring communication services

Data and sample donation from diverse populations is critical for research findings to have a broad impact. The goal of this study is to better understand study participant attitudes and preferences for updates on biobank-related research activities. We also hope to understand if there are differences in these topics between demographic groups. In this analysis of 51 survey respondents, we found that younger adults prefer e-Newsletters significantly more than older adults (92% vs 62%), and adults of lower education status prefer text updates significantly more than adults of higher education status (20% vs 3%). However, we found no significant differences in preferences for frequency or type of update, nor in trust in Johns Hopkins Medicine staff with respect to age, education, and gender. These analyses can inform the design of communication services that can be tailored to the preferences of biobank participants, allowing for more robust and diverse research participation.