Physician recruitment for a community-based smoking cessation intervention

Abstract

Objective: Our goal was to describe a strategy to recruit a population-based sample of physicians into a trial to test an approach to disseminate physician-delivered smoking cessation interventions.

Study design: The 3-phase population-based recruitment trial included: (1) a print-based promotional appeal, (2) in-person presentations with by the principal investigator (PI), and (3) follow-up calls by the PI and paid physician recruiters. Participation requirements were kept minimal to facilitate recruitment.

Population: All primary care physicians statewide were targeted; 3 counties were chosen as intervention areas and 2 counties as control areas. A subsample of physicians was targeted in the larger control areas through a matching process.

Outcome measured: We measured physician recruitment rate.

Results: Eighty-one percent (n=259) of all eligible physicians were successfully recruited into our study.

Conclusions: The full multistep process was important in getting participation agreement. By using an intensive recruitment strategy and minimizing research demands, it is possible to recruit community-based primary care physicians for research projects that will help them enhance the preventive services they provide to their patients.