Skip to main content

Table 2 Second modification to the recruitment strategy, including the rationale and evidence for the chosen strategy

From: Strategies for improving patient recruitment to focus groups in primary care: a case study reflective paper using an analytical framework

Modification to recruitment strategy 2

Rationale for 2nd recruitment strategy modification

Post-project analysis; evidence for the chosen strategy from PROSPeR and other sources

Posters will be displayed in the surgery waiting area inviting patients who have recently consulted their GP with sleeping difficulties to take part in the study by asking them to speak to their GP

MODIFIED to

Posters displayed in practices wider than the collaborative and also providing patients with the opportunity to make direct contact with the researcher.

The collaborative funding had ceased, and because the recruitment had not been efficient we wanted a system that necessitated no work on behalf of the practices.

Waiting room posters informing patients that a study is in progress. Targeted poster campaign to encourage recruitment. [38, 57, 73, 74]

Provide support from the research team. Invest researcher time and resources to support the study and minimise the impact on the practice.[75]

Practice based recruitment was supplemented with an approach that totally removed practice level involvement. We used advertisements in the local news papers covering 7 towns in the county. The advert invited patients experiencing sleeping difficulties during the previous 6 months to contact the researcher.

There had already been local news coverage countywide about the study, so we hoped that an invitation using the study logo might appeal to people who had noticed the first publicity. The county is rural and the papers cover areas wider than the collaborative practices. It might appeal to a wider group of people.

Provide support from the research team. Invest researcher time and resources to support the study and minimise the impact on the practice.[75]

Repeated publicity at a local level delivered by locally based investigators well known to their primary care community.[76]