Recruitment strategies for a hand dermatitis prevention programme in the food industry.
BACKGROUND
An interdisciplinary 'Skin Disease Prevention Programme (SDPP) in the baking, hotel, and catering industries' was established. However, only 30% of the eligible employees suffering from occupational hand dermatitis (OHD) participated in the programme.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to increase the participation rate in the SDPP from 30% to 50% by specific recruitment strategies.


METHODS
Two hundred and twenty five baker and catering trade employees suffering from OHD were included in a prospective controlled intervention study. The employees were invited to take part in the SDPP using (i) a standard invitation letter (n = 40), (ii) a newly developed, personalized, and targeted invitation letter (n = 52), (iii) the new invitation letter and a case report (n = 75), and (iv) the new invitation letter, the case report, and the additional information (n = 58).


RESULTS
The commitment of the employees to join the SDPP increased significantly from 30% to 54% (P < 0.02) in the group receiving the new personalized targeted invitation letter. Neither the additional case report nor the supplementation with additional information concerning the SDPP did further increase the recruitment.


CONCLUSIONS
The strategy to personalize and target the new invitation letter was successful to influence the employees' commitment to participate in the SDPP.
Kaatz
Martin
M
Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, 07747 Jena, Germany. kaatz@derma.uni-jena.de
Ladermann
Regina
R
Stadeler
Martina
M
Fluhr
Joachim Wilhelm
JW
Elsner
Peter
P
Bauer
Andrea
A