Delivering complex, high-sensitivity recruitment for a UK-wide study on bowel screening behaviours

Background
When our client set out to explore the barriers to bowel screening among UK adults aged 50–75, this was never going to be a straightforward recruitment exercise. The study required a carefully balanced sample of those who had engaged with screening and those who hadn’t, alongside attitudinally segmented group discussions designed to get beneath the surface of decision-making.

But the real nuance sat in who needed to be part of the conversation.

The audience spanned lower socio-economic groups and a range of ethnic communities, with a topic that’s often difficult to talk about, let alone volunteer for. This wasn’t just about finding people. It was about reaching them in the right way, with the right tone, and building enough trust for them to take part.

The recruitment challenge
The brief came with multiple layers, each one tightening the funnel:

• Strict quotas for participants living in IMD 1–3 areas
• Specific ethnic representation, including Black African/Caribbean and South Asian communities
• Clear behavioural segmentation based on screening engagement
• Additional requirements across income, social grade, age, and gender

With IMD and ethnicity quotas fixed, the available pool narrowed quickly, particularly within older age groups. Add to that a four-week rolling timeline, and the margin for error disappeared entirely.

Acumen’s approach
This is where thoughtful recruitment from our healthcare team did the heavy lifting.

We built a strategy that was both precise and flexible, combining targeted outreach with a more human, community-led approach.

• Precision-targeted social media campaigns designed to reach specific geographic and ethnic communities
• Multiple messaging routes, carefully adapted to resonate with different audiences rather than relying on a single blanket approach
• A community-led referral model, encouraging younger, digitally active individuals to share the opportunity with parents and grandparents

Alongside this, we worked in close partnership with the client to introduce considered flexibility on secondary quotas such as age, gender, and household income, protecting what mattered most while keeping delivery on track.

What made it work
One of the most effective elements wasn’t a tool or a platform, but people.

By tapping into family and community networks, we were able to extend our reach in a way that felt natural rather than intrusive. Younger participants became trusted connectors, opening the door to audiences who are often missed by traditional recruitment methods.

This allowed us to:

• Reach older participants who are less likely to engage with direct digital recruitment
• Build trust through familiar, community-based touchpoints
• Scale effectively without losing precision

And crucially, this didn’t come at the expense of quality. Engagement, reliability, and depth of contribution remained consistently high across all groups.

Outcome
The result was a project delivered with both rigour and care:

• Full delivery of all depths and group sessions within timeline
• Strong representation across key IMD and ethnic quotas
• High-quality, highly engaged participants throughout
• Positive client feedback, particularly around navigating complexity without compromising delivery

Complex healthcare audiences deserve a thoughtful approach. Speak to Alan Shirley about how we can help.