Barriers and facilitators to patient recruitment to a cluster randomized controlled trial in primary care: Lessons for future trials

Abstract

Background: Primary-care based randomized controlled trials (RCTs) build an important evidence base for general practice but little evidence exists about barriers to recruitment which often hamper such trials. We investigated the issues that impeded and facilitated recruitment to a clinical trial in general practice. Methods: GPs participating in a cluster RCT that tested interventions for improving medication adherence and asthma control completed a survey comprising quantitative and free text questions about their recruitment experiences. We used backward regression to analyze quantitative data and coded free text responses into themes. Results: 40/55 of enrolled GPs recruited patients, bu..