title: Challenges to enrollment and randomization of the Frequent Hemodialysis Network (FHN) Daily Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sponsored a randomized clinical trial comparing six versus three times per week in-center hemodialysis (the Frequent Hemodialysis Network [FHN] Daily Trial), to test the effects of frequent hemodialysis on an array of intermediate outcomes. Herein we report challenges to enrollment and randomization into the trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Screening and enrollment was tracked at all participating dialysis clinics and specific reasons for dropout after baseline assessment were recorded for all enrolled subjects. Reasons for consent refusal were recorded in a subset of (10 out of 65) sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The trial screened 6276 hemodialysis patients on three times weekly hemodialysis in 65 hemodialysis clinics, 3481 (55%) were considered eligible for enrollment, and 3124 (90%) were approached for consent; 378 (12%) consented and 245 were randomized (65% of those enrolled). Prospective subjects chose not to participate primarily because of the anticipated time required for three extra treatments per week and the difficulties in following the protocol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recruitment into the FHN Daily Trial proved challenging but the goal of 250 randomized subjects was almost met.
authors.affiliation: Renal Research Institute, New York, NY 10128, USA.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sergeyeva
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gorodetskaya
authors.forename: Rosio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Brigitte M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larive
authors.forename: Jochen G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Raimann
authors.forename: George O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Eggers
authors.forename: Glenn M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Chertow
authors.forename: Nathan W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D010352:Patient Dropouts; D018579:Patient Selection; D011446:Prospective Studies; D045808:Refusal to Participate; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States