title: How to engage occupational physicians in recruitment of research participants: a mixed-methods study of challenges and opportunities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate barriers and facilitators for research participant recruitment by occupational physicians (OPs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A mixed-methods approach was used. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with OPs to explore perceived barriers and facilitators for recruitment. Based on data of a cluster-randomised controlled trial (cluster-RCT), univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate associations between OPs' personal and work characteristics and the number of recruited participants for the cluster-RCT per OP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perceived barriers and facilitators for recruitment were categorised into: study characteristics (e.g. concise inclusion criteria); study population characteristics; OP's attention; OP's workload; context (e.g. working at different locations); and OP's characteristics (e.g. motivated to help). Important facilitators were encouragement by colleagues and reminders by information technology tools. Multivariate analyses showed that the number of OPs within the clinical unit who recruited participants was positively associated with the number of recruited participants per OP [rate ratio of 1.43, 95 % confidence interval 1.24-1.64].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When mobilising OPs for participant recruitment, researchers need to engage entire clinical units rather than approach OPs on an individual basis. OPs consider regular communication, especially face-to-face contact and information technology tools serving as reminders, as helpful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Community and Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands, i.arends@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arends
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bültmann
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Rhenen
authors.forename: Corné
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roelen
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Jac J L
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: van der Klink
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009426:Netherlands; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000379:methods; D009787:Occupational Medicine; D018579:Patient Selection; D010820:Physicians; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012106:Research; D012108:Research Personnel; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016526:Workload