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Time and Cost for Recruiting Older Adults
Author(s) -
TaylorDavis Stephanie,
SmiciklasWright Helen,
Davis Andrew C.,
Jensen Gordon L.,
Mitchell Diane C.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1998.tb03812.x
Subject(s) - medicine , phone , telephone call , psychological intervention , phone call , telephone interview , family medicine , gerontology , telephone survey , tertiary care , nursing , advertising , social science , philosophy , linguistics , sociology , electrical engineering , business , engineering
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the time requirements and costs of recruiting older adults for participation in a medical center‐/university‐sponsored, home‐based nutrition education study. A two‐step recruitment strategy consisting of an introductory letter followed by a telephone call was used. DESIGN: A random selection of 1300 individuals aged 60 to 74 years was drawn from a patient database of a large, rural, tertiary care hospital to receive introductory letters and recruitment telephone calls. One week after the mailing, potential subjects were contacted by trained interviewers and asked to participate in a home‐based nutrition education study. PARTICIPANTS: Men and women, aged 60 to 74 years, whose names appeared in a rural, tertiary care hospital database. MEASUREMENTS: Recruitment rate, time required for recruitment by telephone, and cost of the combined mailing and telephone recruitment effort. RESULTS: Of the 1300 individuals selected, 1077 (83%) people were contacted by phone and 223 (17%) people were unable to be reached. A total of 2895 calling attempts were required to determine the recruitment status of those identified as potential participants. Of those reached by phone, the recruitment rate was 45%. The total cost (mailing, telephone, and database management) per recruited subject was $8.56. CONCLUSION: This study has helped to establish the costs of recruitment for home‐based education interventions using a two‐step strategy of an introductory mailing and follow‐up telephone interview.