A randomized colorectal cancer screening intervention trial in the Iowa Research Network (IRENE): study recruitment methods and baseline results.
BACKGROUND
Only about half of eligible Americans are adherent with colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Because patients generally access CRC screening via their primary care physicians, interventions to improve screening should be tested in the primary care setting. This article describes the recruitment and baseline characteristics of patients from 16 practice-based research network practices for a study to improve CRC screening.


METHODS
A total of 8327 invitations were mailed to patients of these practices, and 1685 returned consent forms and baseline surveys.


RESULTS
Of those who consented, 942 were up to date with screening, which indicates that office databases were unable to provide information about those who were already screened. The 743 due for screening were younger (mean age, 61 vs. 63 years), less likely to have an immediate family member with CRC (11% vs. 19%), less likely to have Medicare (29% vs. 40%), more likely to have no insurance (5% vs. 1%), and less likely to report a physician/nurse recommendation for CRC screening (63% vs. 92%) for all comparisons.


CONCLUSIONS
Our experiences for this practice-based research network randomized clinical intervention trial may be useful to others. Practice and patient recruitment processes were onerous with institutional review board issues, poorly prepared patient databases, and discarding of mail by the US Postal Service.
Department of Family Medicine, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA. jeanette-daly@uiowa.edu
Jeanette M
JM
Daly
Yinghui
Y
Xu
John W
JW
Ely
Barcey T
BT
Levy
D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires