 Healthcare institutions are increasingly adopting policies that prohibit cold calling or direct contact with potential research participants in order to protect their patients' privacy. However, these policies can also limit access to research opportunities for those who do not know someone within the institution. To address this issue, we propose an ethical framework for evaluating cold call policies based on three principles of research ethics, respect for autonomy, respect for privacy, and respect for beneficence. We then suggest several alternatives to restrictive cold call policies, such as opt-in or opt-out platforms, a team-based approach, electronic solutions, and best practices for recruitment. These approaches aim to ensure that potential research participants are able to make informed decisions about whether they want to be involved in research without compromising patient privacy. This article was authored by Kelly Amahue, Keita K. Swamy, and Adrienne F. Hernandez.