Time and cost for recruiting older adults.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the time requirements and costs of recruiting older adults for participation in a medical center-/university-sponsored, home-based nutrition education study. A two-step recruitment strategy consisting of an introductory letter followed by a telephone call was used.


METHODS
A random selection of 1300 individuals aged 60 to 74 years was drawn from a patient database of a large, rural, tertiary care hospital to receive introductory letters and recruitment telephone calls. One week after the mailing, potential subjects were contacted by trained interviewers and asked to participate in a home-based nutrition education study.


METHODS
Men and women, aged 60 to 74 years, whose names appeared in a rural, tertiary care hospital database.


METHODS
Recruitment rate, time required for recruitment by telephone, and cost of the combined mailing and telephone recruitment effort.


RESULTS
Of the 1300 individuals selected, 1077 (83%) people were contacted by phone and 223 (17%) people were unable to be reached. A total of 2895 calling attempts were required to determine the recruitment status of those identified as potential participants. Of those reached by phone, the recruitment rate was 45%. The total cost (mailing, telephone, and database management) per recruited subject was $8.56.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has helped to establish the costs of recruitment for home-based education interventions using a two-step strategy of an introductory mailing and follow-up telephone interview.
Taylor-Davis
S
S
College of Applied Human Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, USA.
Smiciklas-Wright
H
H
Davis
A C
AC
Jensen
G L
GL
Mitchell
D C
DC
D000368:Aged; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006266:Health Education / Q000191:economics*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D018579:Patient Selection; D010414:Pennsylvania; D013996:Time and Motion Studies