Strategies for in-person recruitment: lessons learned from a New Jersey primary care research network (NJPCRN) study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and evaluate participant recruitment for a research study conducted in primary care offices.


METHODS
Nine recruiters administered a written survey to 1485 primary care patients (from 25 practices) during baseline and 1-year follow-up of a quality improvement study aimed at increasing colorectal cancer screening. Before recruitment, recruiters attended training sessions, during which they received tools and information designed to facilitate successful recruitment. Quantitative and qualitative recruitment data were analyzed to assess and describe recruitment efforts.


RESULTS
The overall practice-level recruitment rate was 72.7% (range, 56.3% to 91.4%). Practice characteristics did not affect the recruitment rate. Recruitment rate differed significantly between recruiters (P = .0007) as did nonparticipants' reasons for refusal (P < .0001). Anticipated barriers to recruitment (older age of sampled population, lack of incentives, and discomfort discussing colorectal cancer) did not occur. Two key strategies facilitated recruitment: ((1)) recruiter flexibility and ((2)) building rapport with participants.


CONCLUSIONS
Recruiters may be more effective if they are able to adapt to participants' needs and successfully build rapport with potential participants. The likelihood of recruitment success may be increased by anticipating potential recruitment barriers and providing training that minimizes the inherent variation that exists among recruiters.
Felsen
Christina B
CB
Department of Family Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, Somerset, NJ 08873, USA. felsencb@umdnj.edu
Shaw
Eric K
EK
Ferrante
Jeanne M
JM
Lacroix
Lorraine J
LJ
Crabtree
Benjamin F
BF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009515:New Jersey; D018579:Patient Selection; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult