title: Barriers to participation in a randomized controlled trial of Qigong exercises amongst cancer survivors: lessons learnt.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical trials on cancer subjects have one of the highest dropout rates. Barriers to recruitment range from patient-related, through institutional-related to staff-related factors. This paper highlights the low response rate and the recruitment barriers faced in our Qigong exercises trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Qigong trial is a three-arm trial with a priori power size of 114 patients for 80% power. The University Malaya Medical Centre database showed a total of 1,933 patients from 2006-2010 and 751 patients met our inclusion criteria. These patients were approached via telephone interview. 131 out of 197 patients attended the trial and the final response rate was 48% (n=95/197).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multiple barriers were identified, and were regrouped as patient- related, clinician-related and/or institutional related. A major consistent barrier was logistic difficulty related to transportation and car parking at the Medical Centre. conclusions: All clinical trials must pay considerable attention to the recruitment process and it should even be piloted to identify potential barriers and facilitators to reduce attrition rate in trials.
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. syloh@um.edu.my
authors: Siew Yim
authors: SY
authors: Loh
authors: Shing Yee
authors: SY
authors: Lee
authors: Kia Fatt
authors: KF
authors: Quek
authors: Liam
authors: L
authors: Murray
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D064906:Qigong / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017741:Survivors