Recruitment and Retention in a Bell's Palsy Trial
Author Information
Author(s): Brian McKinstry, Victoria Hammersley, Fergus Daly, Frank Sullivan
Primary Institution: Community Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh
Hypothesis
Can effective recruitment and retention strategies improve participation in a trial for Bell's palsy treatment?
Conclusion
Recruitment and retention in multi-centre trials from primary care can be successfully achieved with the right strategies.
Supporting Evidence
- The trial successfully recruited 551 patients, exceeding the target of 550.
- Retention rates were higher than expected, contributing to the overall success of the trial.
- Recruitment strategies included home visits and financial incentives for participating practices.
Takeaway
This study shows that getting people to join and stay in a medical trial can be done well if you make it easy and important for doctors and patients.
Methodology
A 22 factorial randomized controlled trial involving patients with Bell's palsy, using home visits for recruitment and follow-up.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of patients who were notified more than 72 hours after onset.
Limitations
The recruitment rate did not meet initial expectations, and there were variations in recruitment across study sites.
Participant Demographics
Patients with Bell's palsy, primarily aged 30-45 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website