Recruitment and accrual of women in a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation.
OBJECTIVE
To report on recruitment efforts and accrual rates for a nonmusculoskeletal chiropractic clinical trial.


METHODS
Information regarding the method of recruitment was collected for each individual who responded to an advertisement and completed an interviewer-administered telephone screening.


METHODS
A suburban chiropractic teaching clinic with recruitment efforts extending throughout the larger metropolitan area.


METHODS
A total of 2312 women were screened for participation and the advertisement source was noted for each. Of these, 138 women were recruited and fulfilled all study requirements.


METHODS
The numbers of responses and accrual rates were determined for 8 different recruitment methods: newspaper advertisements, community referrals, radio advertisements, community colleges, press releases, a community electronic sign, public television, and local posters.


RESULTS
The most effective recruitment methods were newspaper advertisements, community referrals, and radio advertisements; the least effective methods were public television and local posters.


CONCLUSIONS
The effort required for the recruitment of subjects was underestimated in this study. Based on the information gained, future recruitment methods for study participants will primarily focus on low-effort, high-yield methods such as newspaper and radio advertising, followed by press releases, campus electronic signs, and public television.
Cambron
J A
JA
Research Department, National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, Ill 60148, USA. jcambron@nuhs.edu
D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods*; D002684:Chiropractic; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020393:Manipulation, Spinal; D008875:Middle Aged; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D018579:Patient Selection; D011845:Radio; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013690:Television