Participant recruitment for an anorexia nervosa treatment study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the nature of differing recruitment rates for clinical treatment trials for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.


METHODS
Recruitment rates from a study recruiting women partially recovered from anorexia nervosa were compared with the rates from two studies conducted at the same sites recruiting women with bulimia nervosa.


RESULTS
At all sites in the anorexia study, the total number of contacts per month rose steadily over the first 2 years of the recruitment phase then decreased to near zero with the number of participants randomized to the study practically evaporating. In contrast, the bulimia studies screened a larger group of contacts and met monthly randomization goals in the time allotted for recruitment. Participants eligible for a study but with a barrier to participation occurred at a much higher rate in the anorexia study than in the bulimia studies.


CONCLUSIONS
These results reveal a difficulty in planning recruitment from a small population such as partially recovered anorexics. A small population's total pool size diminishes faster than it is replenished, suggesting that future studies of anorexia nervosa may recruit more successfully from many sites in a short period rather than at a few sites over a long period.
McDermott
Christa
C
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5722, USA.
Agras
W Stewart
WS
Crow
Scott J
SJ
Halmi
Katherine
K
Mitchell
James E
JE
Bryson
Susan
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D005473:Fluoxetine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors