title: Use of a commercial consumer panel to recruit a comparator cohort for a pharmacoepidemiologic study.
abstract: The Upjohn Consumer Health Survey (UCHS) was a prospective, observational study designed to comply with the US FDA's request that 10,000 users of ROGAINE (REGAINE in international markets) Topical Solution 2% (2% minoxidil solution) be systematically studied in the first year following the product's approval. Members of the Drug cohort were recruited at the time they filled prescriptions for 2% minoxidil solution at cooperating retail pharmacies in the United States. To meet the need for rapid identification of a cooperative comparison group, the Comparator cohort was selected by stratified random sampling from members of a commercial consumer panel. Group matching of Comparators to the Drug cohort on four variables--age, sex, race, and geography of residence--was accomplished prior to recruitment on the basis of information available from the consumer panel records; education was obtained via consent procedures and was also used as a group matching variable. Data collection was accomplished by participant interviews and confirmation of participant-reported medical events. Interviewing costs averaged 18.88 US dollars/completed interview. A commercial consumer panel offers a pool of rapidly identifiable subjects with known demographic characteristics and established willingness to participate in research for efficient cohort recruitment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Szpunar
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Facklam
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mariano
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Borden
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Leinweber