Recruitment strategies in a community based study of vision care and diabetes

Purpose. To present findings on effective methods of recruiting persons with diabetes into a study of vision care and diabetes in a community. Methods. The Diabetic Retinopathy Awareness Program (DRAP) is a community based trial to evaluate interventions to enhance vision care practices by persons with diabetes. Persons with diabetes ≥ 18 years old were recruited for DRAP via a multimedia county-wide campaign conducted between October 1993 and April 1994 in Suffolk County, NY. The study was promoted by the display of posters and brochures, news stories and public service announcements. All promotional assistance was provided gratis. An 800 number recruitment line was established to receive calls, administer a recruitment interview and determine the source(s) of participant identification. Persons were eligible for and enrolled in the intervention trial if they did not have a comprehensive eye exam (with dilatation) in the year prior to study recruitment. Results. A total of 3515 study inquiries were logged in since the start of recruitment, resulting in the interview of 2309 persons with diabetes and the enrollment of the 813 eligible (35%) into the trial. Once the study sample size was achieved, additional interested persons (n=560) were placed on a waiting list for future studies. Only 8% of callers were ineligible for the study, and 2% refused to participate. The largest number of participants reported hearing about the study through the print media (30%), health related facilities (23%) and a local television news story (15%). Of the 891 persons reading about the study in a newspaper, 46% read about it in the daily newspaper, 33% in free home delivered papers and 21% in other local papers. Of the 660 persons hearing about the study from a health related facility, 53% saw a study poster/brochure at a pharmacy, 29% in a physician office or hospital and 18% from other health related facilities. The demographic features of this population was similar to that of the local population with regard to age and race. In addition, vision care utilization was consistent with reports from other populations. Conclusions. A multimedia campaign with extensive community involvement can prove successful in identifying participants for a community based study of diabetes and vision. The study found newspapers, health related facilities and television to be the most effective methods of identifying participants.