title: Using postal randomization to replace telephone randomization had no significant effect on recruitment of patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the effect of postal randomization on recruitment of patients into a randomized trial in primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  General practices used a telephone service to randomize patients in our trial. Delays in the start of recruitment at some sites led us to modify the randomization procedure. When new practices took part patients completed and posted baseline materials to the Trial Secretary in York who performed the randomization and informed those concerned of the allocation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 647 practices who were invited to take part, 130 (45%) of 288 agreed to participate using telephone randomization and 155 (43%) of 359 using the postal method. These practices recruited 553 patients from November 2002 to October 2004 across 11 sites in the United Kingdom. The postal method reduced the number of patients recruited by a factor of 0.86 (95% confidence interval=0.62-1.20), or 14%. The number of general practitioners working in a practice significantly increased patient recruitment by a factor of 1.12 (1.05-1.20), whereas practice distance from hospital significantly decreased recruitment by a factor of 0.98 (0.97-0.99).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postal randomization had no significant effect on recruitment of patients into our trial.
authors: Department of Health Sciences, York Trials Unit, Seebohm Rowntree Building, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK. sb143@york.ac.uk
authors: Stephen D
authors: SD
authors: Brealey
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Atwell
authors: Stirling
authors: S
authors: Bryan
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Coulton
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Cox
authors: Ben
authors: B
authors: Cross
authors: Fiona
authors: F
authors: Fylan
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Garratt
authors: Fiona J
authors: FJ
authors: Gilbert
authors: Maureen G C
authors: MG
authors: Gillan
authors: Maggie
authors: M
authors: Hendry
authors: Kerenza
authors: K
authors: Hood
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Houston
authors: David
authors: D
authors: King
authors: Veronica
authors: V
authors: Morton
authors: Jo
authors: J
authors: Orchard
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Robling
authors: Ian T
authors: IT
authors: Russell
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Torgerson
authors: Valerie
authors: V
authors: Wadsworth
authors: Clare
authors: C
authors: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011177:Postal Service; D011320:Primary Health Care; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013689:Telephone