title: Research in patients with heart failure: challenges in recruitment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Published studies of patients with heart failure may not include details about the challenges in the recruitment process.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the recruitment process during the first 18 months of a study being conducted to evaluate cognitive deficits in patients with chronic heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Details of the recruitment process are described for 2 clinic sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 4,027 echocardiograms were screened at site 1 to evaluate eligibility. Of the 161 patients eligible, 61 (38%) were invited to participate, and 29 of the 61 (48%) completed the study. At site 2, four hundred thirty-seven medical records of patients were screened, resulting in 163 eligible patients (37%). The staff invited 70 of the 163 patients (43%) to participate, and 52 of the 70 (74%) completed the study. The refusal rate was 23% at site 1 and 21% at site 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Successful recruitment in studies involving patients with heart failure often requires screening of a large group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Nursing in Indianapolis, IN, USA. SPressle@umich.edu
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pressler
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: Rose Mary
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Leslie E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Klarisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stoudemire
authors.forename: Irmina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gradus-Pizlo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D045808:Refusal to Participate; D014481:United States