title: Recruitment for an internet-based diabetes self-management program: scientific and ethical implications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the reach of Internet self-management interventions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate different definitions of participation rate and compare characteristics among subcategories of participants and nonparticipants on demographic and clinical factors using de-identified electronic medical record data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data are presented on recruitment results and characteristics of 2,603 health maintenance organization members having type 2 diabetes invited to participate in an Internet self-management program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a 37% participation rate among all members attempted to contact and presumed eligible. There were several significant differences between participants and nonparticipants and among subgroups of participants (e.g., proactive volunteers vs. telephone respondents) on factors including age, income, ethnicity, smoking rate, education, blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1c.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results have important implications for the impact of different recruitment methods on health disparities and generalization of results. We provide recommendations for reporting of eligibility rate, participation rate, and representativeness analyses.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, PO Box 378066, Denver, CO, 80237-8066, USA. russg@re-aim.net
authors.forename: Russell E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Glasgow
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Strycker
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kurz
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Hillary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dickman
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Halterman
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Estabrooks
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Osuna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D018579:Patient Selection / Q000941:ethics*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*