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Recruiting older adults for clinical trials
1Family Health Council, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222, USA.
Controlled Clinical Trials
|February 1, 1997
Summary
Referrals were the most efficient recruitment method for older adults in a clinical trial, while presentations yielded the most participants. Effective recruitment strategies for seniors involve incentives and clear communication.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Clinical Trial Recruitment
- Healthcare Services Research
Background:
- Community-dwelling older adults require specialized care.
- Geriatric assessment offers a comprehensive approach to older adult healthcare.
- Comparing specialized geriatric assessment with usual physician care is crucial for optimizing health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of geriatric assessment versus usual community physician care for older adults.
- To evaluate and report on the efficiency and yield of six different recruitment methods for a clinical trial involving older adults.
Main Methods:
- Recruited over 400 community-dwelling older adults for a clinical trial.
- Utilized six distinct recruitment strategies: referrals, solicitations, presentations, media, mailings, and fliers.
- Analyzed each method based on participant numbers, yield, and cost per participant.
Main Results:
- Referrals emerged as the most cost-efficient recruitment method.
- Presentations were the most effective method for recruiting the largest number of participants.
- Fliers proved to be the least effective recruitment method.
Conclusions:
- Referrals and presentations are highly effective recruitment strategies for older adults.
- Guidelines for successful recruitment include monitoring, targeting, incentives, and reducing uncertainty.
- Optimizing recruitment methods enhances the efficiency and reach of clinical trials for older populations.