title: Does physician continuity within a clinical trial increase retention and compliance among adolescent smokers?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Retention and compliance are hurdles in many clinical trials designed for adolescents. Factors that may improve these issues in a challenging population may lead to increased data and power in much needed adolescent substance abuse research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within a large-scale smoking cessation study for adolescents, physician continuity (PC) was examined to determine its effect on retention, compliance, and cessation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In an analysis of 98 participants, participants with physician continuity throughout the study were more likely to attend more treatment visits and be medication compliant. It was also found that PC had no effect on participant smoking cessation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It appears that PC may be one way to increase retention and compliance within an adolescent clinical trial, without interfering with the specific aim of the research study (in this case, smoking cessation).
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: A Lee
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klintworth
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gray