Paying Substance Abusers in Research Studies: Where Does the Money Go?

Abstract

Background: Research involving substance-abusing participants is often hindered by low rates of recruitment and retention. Research suggests that monetary payment or remuneration can be an effective strategy to overcome these obstacles. Objectives: This article provides a brief overview of these issues and provides data reflecting how substance-abusing participants in several of our studies used their baseline and follow-up payments. We also present research findings related to how the mode of payment (i.e., cash, check, gift card) may affect how payments are used. Conclusions and Significance: Overall, our findings suggest that participants use their research payments in a responsible and safe manner. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Keyword:

• remuneration
• participant payment
• substance abuse research
• monetary incentives

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by grants R01-DA-13408 and DA-14566 and DA-13096 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. We gratefully acknowledge the collaboration of the administration and staff at Philadelphia’s Northeast Treatment Centers, the Philadelphia Treatment Court, and the New Castle Court of Common Pleas Drug Court. We also thank all of our hard-working staff at Treatment Research Institute’s Section on Law and Ethics for their help on the various projects and Matthew Haines for his assistance in the submission of this manuscript.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.