title: Recruitment of veterans from primary care into a physical activity randomized controlled trial: the experience of the VA-STRIDE study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Much of the existing literature on physical activity (PA) interventions involves physically inactive individuals recruited from community settings rather than clinical practice settings. Recruitment of patients into interventions in clinical practice settings is difficult due to limited time available in the clinic, identification of appropriate personnel to efficiently conduct the process, and time-consuming methods of recruitment. The purpose of this report is to describe the approach used to identify and recruit veterans from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Pittsburgh Healthcare System Primary Care Clinic into a randomized controlled PA study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sampling frame of veterans was developed using the VA electronic medical record. During regularly scheduled clinic appointments, primary care providers (PCPs) screened identified patients for safety to engage in moderate-intensity PA and willingness to discuss the study with research staff members. Research staff determined eligibility with a subsequent telephone screening call and scheduled a research study appointment, at which time signed informed consent and baseline measurements were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 3,482 veterans in the sampling frame who were scheduled for a primary care appointment during the study period, 1,990 (57.2%) were seen in the clinic and screened by the PCP; moderate-intensity PA was deemed safe for 1,293 (37.1%), 871 (25.0%) agreed to be contacted for further screening, 334 (9.6%) were eligible for the study, and 232 (6.7%) enrolled.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a semiautomated screening approach that combined an electronically-derived sampling frame with paper and pencil prescreening by PCPs and research staff, VA-STRIDE was able to recruit 1 in 15 veterans in the sampling frame. Using this approach, a high proportion of potentially eligible veterans were screened by their PCPs.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinical trials.gov identifier: NCT00731094.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. mshawkins@schoolph.umass.edu.
authors.forename: Marquis S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Hough
authors.forename: Marie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Maria K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: Ann R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Steenkiste
authors.forename: Shasha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Roslyn A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Kelly H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Burkitt
authors.forename: Bess H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Joseph T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ciccolo
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kriska
authors.forename: Deborah T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Klinvex
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sevick
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D050177:Overweight / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018579:Patient Selection; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011320:Primary Health Care; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D018401:Sample Size; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D014728:Veterans