Participation of older newly-diagnosed cancer patients in an observational prospective pilot study: an example of recruitment and retention.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There have been few prospective observational studies which recruited older newly-diagnosed cancer patients, and of these only some have reported information on the number needed to screen to recruit their study sample, and the number and reasons for refusal and drop-out. This paper reports on strategies to recruit older newly-diagnosed cancer patients prior to treatment into an observational prospective pilot study and to retain them during a six-month period.

Methods

Medical charts of all patients in the Segal Cancer Centre aged 65 and over were screened and evaluated for inclusion. Several strategies to facilitate recruitment and retention were implemented. Reasons for exclusion, refusal and loss to follow-up were recorded. Descriptive statistics were used to r

SUBMITTER: Puts MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3087334 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature