Real-world data studies usually rely on clinic-based recruitment. This exploratory study tested whether patients with acute rhinosinusitis symptoms could be recruited entirely online, via Google, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and still produce plausible, meaningful data on disease burden and OTC medication use.
- Only ~5% of women with clear symptoms had ever been diagnosed
- Online ads reached a highly specific, trial-eligible population at scale
- Most eligible women were open to participating in a trial
