Working to Increase Stability through Exercise (WISE): screening, recruitment, and baseline characteristics

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Exercise Science
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• The Working to Increase Stability through Exercise (WISE) study is a pragmatic randomized trial.
• It investigates a 3-year physical activity program to reduce serious fall-related injuries in adults aged 65+ with prior fragility fractures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the effectiveness of various recruitment methods used in the WISE study.
• To identify optimal strategies for recruiting older adults at risk of fall-related injuries into long-term exercise interventions.

Main Methods:

• The study utilized multiple recruitment strategies: direct mailings, provider alerts, phone calls, radio ads, and community presentations.
• Participants were identified from health system patient lists and regional databases.

Main Results:

• Over 24 months, 209,301 recruitment letters were mailed, leading to 6818 telephone interviews and 1139 randomized participants.
• Direct mailings accounted for 72% of randomized participants; research registries contributed 11%.
• The most common reasons for ineligibility (87.5%) and declining enrollment (12.6%) were noted.

Conclusions:

• The WISE study successfully met its recruitment goal.
• Bulk mailing proved to be the most productive recruitment method for this population.
• Electronic registries are also valuable recruitment sources for similar trials.