Recruitment strategies for preventive trials. The MAPT study (MultiDomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial)

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Alzheimer's Disease Research

Background:

• The MAPT study aimed to recruit participants for Alzheimer's disease research.
• Recruitment involved university hospitals and memory clinics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze recruitment sources and efficiency for the MAPT study.
• To identify effective strategies for enrolling volunteers in clinical trials.

Main Methods:

• Randomization of 1680 participants between May 2008 and February 2011.
• Screening of 2595 subjects, with 1680 meeting eligibility criteria (64.8%).
• Analysis of participant sources including personal contact, media, conferences, hospitals, and healthcare services.

Main Results:

• Personal contact was the most effective recruitment source, with nearly 85% of screened participants being randomized.
• Media and conferences also showed high efficiency in enrolling volunteers.
• Hospital and GP sources had lower randomization rates (around 60%), and healthcare services were less effective (33.2%).
• Approximately 25% of randomized participants came from hospital outpatient clinics and 20% from public conferences.

Conclusions:

• Personal outreach, media, and public conferences are highly effective for recruiting participants in Alzheimer's disease studies.
• Optimizing recruitment strategies based on source efficiency is crucial for clinical trial success.
• Understanding recruitment dynamics can improve future trial enrollment and reduce research timelines.