title: Recruiting older people for research through general practice: the Brief Risk Identification Geriatric Health Tool trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe successful methods of recruitment and identify practice characteristics related to increased recruitment of older people for a randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  General practices in three regions of New Zealand and community-dwelling patients aged 75+ were recruited for the Brief Risk Identification Geriatric Health Tool trial. General practitioners (GPs) were faxed invitations with telephone follow-up. Reply-paid cards with telephone follow-up were used to invite older people. GP and practice characteristics were examined in relationship to recruitment rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 2007-2008, 158 of 438 GPs (36%) in 60 of 116 practices approached (52%) were recruited. Regional variation was marked and 3893 of 8308 invited (49%) older people were recruited. The GP's length of time at the practice and training in New Zealand was associated with recruitment success.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite variability in practice recruitment, a reasonably large and representative sample of older people was recruited through general practices.
authors: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: McLean
authors: Ngaire
authors: N
authors: Kerse
authors: Simon A
authors: SA
authors: Moyes
authors: Terence
authors: T
authors: Ng
authors: Ssu-Yu Suei
authors: SY
authors: Lin
authors: Kathryn
authors: K
authors: Peri
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D018579:Patient Selection; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D018401:Sample Size
keywords: oldest old; practice pattern variation; randomised controlled trial; recruitment activities