Effective strategies for recruiting families ascertained through alcoholic probands

Recruiting a large number of participants meeting strict inclusion criteria can be challenging, particularly when selecting for a condition associated with a social stigma such as alcoholism, when participation involves collection of medical specimens and sensitive information, and when the participation of family members or other collaterals is required. Developing and implementing a successful recruitment plan depends upon identifying the most effective recruitment strategies given the available resources.

Several strategies for recruiting subjects for a large family study on the genetics of alcoholism were evaluated over a two-year period with regard to participant yield, time and cost expenditure.

Overall effectiveness of a recruitment strategy was determined based on a composite of yield, cost and time expenditure. The most effective recruitment strategies were direct mail, press release, the Internet and treatment center collaborations.

Results provide insight into successful strategies for recruiting large numbers of participants and their family members selected for a condition associated with a social stigma.