Recruitment from medical referrals and clinical laboratories
Little, J.A.
Circulation 66(6 Part 2): IV36-IV40
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-7322 PMID: 7127717 Document Number: 182987
Medical referrals represent a recruitment source with a relatively low volume of initial contacts and entries, and a high ratio of entries to initial contacts, while referrals from clinical laboratories comprise a relatively moderate volume of initial contacts, a low volume of entries and a moderate ratio of entries to initial contacts. Both sources require a relatively low effort level for the recruitment team. In the CPPT [Coronary Primary Prevention Trial] all centers used these strategies, to provide, overall, 3% of initial contacts, 8% of 1st protocol visits and 10% of entries. Unwillingness to participate at the 1st protocol visit excluded less than 1/2 as many medical referrals as was observed for all sources, while referrals from clinical laboratories were excluded due to unwillingness to participate much more frequently than the all-source mean. Low yields preclude reliance on these sources for any but the smallest clinical trial.