title: Recruitment strategies in two reproductive medicine network infertility trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recruitment of individuals into clinical trials is a critical step in completing studies. Reports examining the effectiveness of different recruitment strategies, and specifically in infertile couples, are limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated recruitment methods used in two NIH sponsored trials, Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PPCOS II) and Assessment of Multiple Intrauterine Gestations from Ovarian Stimulation (AMIGOS), and examined which strategies yielded the greatest number of participants completing the trials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  3683 couples were eligible for screening. 1650 participants were randomized and 1339 completed the trials. 750 women were randomized in PPCOS II; 212 of the participants who completed the trial were referred by physicians. Participants recruited from radio ads (84/750) and the internet (81/750) resulted in similar rates of trial completion in PPCOS II. 900 participants were randomized in AMIGOS. 440 participants who completed the trial were referred to the study by physicians. The next most successful method in AMIGOS was the use of the internet, achieving 78 completed participants. Radio ads proved the most successful strategy in both trials for participants who earned <$50,000 annually. Radio ads were most successful in enrolling white patients in PPCOS II and black patients in AMIGOS. Seven ancillary Clinical Research Scientist Training (CREST) sites enrolled 324 of the participants who completed the trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physician referral was the most successful recruitment strategy. Radio ads and the internet were the next most successful strategies, particularly for women of limited income. Ancillary clinical sites were important for overall recruitment.
authors.affiliation: Carolinas Healthcare System Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Charlotte, NC 28232, United States. Electronic address: Rebecca.Usadi@carolinashealthcare.org.
authors.forename: Rebecca S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Usadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912, United States.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Diamond
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Legro
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jefferson University, Philadelphia PA 19107, United States.
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Schlaff
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States.
authors.forename: Karl R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Northeastern Reproductive Medicine, Colchester VT 05446, United States.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Casson
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32606, United States.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Christman
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wright Bates
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA 94304, United States.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07101, United States.
authors.forename: Aimee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seungdamrong
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94115, United States.
authors.forename: Mitchell P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23235, United States.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lucidi
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Center for Statistics in Science, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06511, United States.
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
authors.forename: Nanette
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.affiliation: Fertility and Infertility Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, MD 20847, United States.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eisenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
authors.forename: Heping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvero
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000188:drug therapy; D020407:Internet; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000379:methods; D018579:Patient Selection; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018456:Reproductive Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Clinical trial; Recruitment; Subjects