Recruitment from clinical studies

Area of Science:

• Clinical Research
• Trial Recruitment Strategies
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Referrals from related clinical studies are a valuable recruitment source.
• This source typically involves fewer initial contacts but a higher conversion rate.
• Effort required from recruitment teams is generally lower.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of clinical study referrals as a recruitment source.
• To analyze the contribution of referrals to initial contacts, protocol visits, and final entries in a specific trial (CPPT).
• To highlight successful recruitment campaign elements and cost-effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of recruitment data from the CPPT, specifically tracking referrals from other clinical studies.
• Identification of major contributing studies, such as the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial and the Minnesota LRC.
• Assessment of recruitment costs and efficiency ratios.

Main Results:

• Referrals constituted 1% of initial contacts, 9% of first protocol visits, and 11% of entries in the CPPT.
• Two-thirds of referral entries originated from the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial.
• Recruitment costs associated with this strategy were typically low.

Conclusions:

• Clinical study referrals are an attractive recruitment strategy due to their high efficiency and low cost.
• Maximizing the use of available clinical study referrals is recommended.
• While not always consistently available, this source significantly benefits trial recruitment efforts.