Recruitment challenges in clinical research including cancer patients and their caregivers. A randomized controlled trial study and lessons learned.

ABSTRACT:

Background

To test seven different strategies for recruitment in a randomized controlled trial, to report documented response data from each strategy, and to discuss recruitment challenges.

Methods

We used 5 opt-in (potential participants have to do something active to contact or be contacted by the researcher) and 2 opt-out (potential participants have the option to decline being contacted about a study) recruitment strategies from February 2013 until July 2014 to contact 1562 cancer patient candidates for participation in a randomized controlled trial. For each of these cancer patients a caregiver was also invited to take part in the study.

Results

Of the 1562 candidates, 22.6 % were ineligible on initial contact, 56.7 % declined to participate on initial contact, a

SUBMITTER: Sygna K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4583740 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature