Recruitment difficulties in a home telecare trial

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Recruitment challenges exist in clinical trials involving older adults with acute exacerbations of chronic illness.
• Home telecare interventions are increasingly explored for chronic disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze difficulties in recruiting older patients with acute chronic illness exacerbations into a home telecare randomized controlled trial.
• To identify patient factors influencing consent to participate in such a trial.

Main Methods:

• A logistic regression model was used to assess factors affecting trial participation.
• Patient eligibility criteria and consent rates were analyzed from 653 approached individuals.

Main Results:

• Only 20% of eligible patients consented to participate.
• Increasing age and use of inhaled steroids were associated with decreased consent likelihood.
• The primary refusal reason was a preference for face-to-face nurse visits over telecare.

Conclusions:

• Home telecare may be more suitable for stable chronic illness populations than for those with acute exacerbations.
• Patient preference for traditional care models presents a significant barrier to telecare trial recruitment.
• Future telecare research should consider patient preferences and target populations carefully.