Background A common method of recruiting for randomized trials is to send letters to potentially eligible patients inviting them to a screening appointment. In 3 consecutive UK studies the proportion attending from those invited fell from 49% [1] in 1994-1997 and 42%[2] in 1998-2001 to 13% at the beginning of an ongoing study in 2007. Procedures were similar in the 3 trials except that in 2007 ...

BACKGROUND The benefits of male partner involvement in antenatal care (ANC) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) for maternal and infant health outcomes have been well recognised. However, in many sub-Saharan African settings, male involvement in these services remains low. Previous research has suggested written invitation letters as a way to promote male partner invol...

In many Sub-Saharan African settings male partner involvement in antenatal care (ANC) remains low, although great benefits for maternal and infant health outcomes have been long recognised, in particular regarding the prevention of HIV transmission. Yet there is paucity on evidence regarding the effectiveness of strategies to increase male partner involvement. This controlled intervention trial...

BACKGROUND The necessity for building transparent communications on screening, both on risks and benefits, is shared by different sides. There is a general agreement that women cannot express informed participation in a screening programme unless they are given sufficient and adequate information. In the screening context, invitation letters and leaflets often represent the principal source of ...

BACKGROUND Younger adults are difficult to engage in preventive health, yet in Australia they are gaining more weight and increasing in waist circumference faster than middle-to-older adults. A further challenge to engaging 18- to 35-year-olds in interventions is the limited reporting of outcomes of recruitment strategies. OBJECTIVE This paper describes the outcomes of strategies used to recr...

T he following account of 20 years of thoracic organ transplantation was the subject of a talk given some time ago to the Little Brothers’ Club after the kind invitation of an old friend and colleague, Dr. Harry Kourlis. It was an honor to see in the audience many of Baylor’s elders, including our editor, who encouraged me to write this experience for Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) Pro...

The study examined how parents’ understanding of early writing development was reflected in they analyzed anonymous preschool children’s writings and the support offered to promote these writing. It also assessed this general knowledge related their own development. participants were 274 parents one children ( M = 5.4 years old). During home visits, shown vignettes with three samples invitation...

Background NICOLA-RT is using minor edits to invitation letters to assess their impact on potential participants’ decisions about joining a prospective study. Even small improvements in recruitment could produce important savings in cost and time. The elements in NICOLA-RT have been registered as SWAT (Study Within A Trial) 3, 4 and 5. These SWAT examine different approaches to recruitment and ...