Ongoing recruitment and follow-up.

This section contains the following:

Introduction
Things to consider
Additional resources
Further reading

Introduction

It is vital to any trial to monitor and maintain recruitment targets and continue to collect the relevant follow-up data. This involves ensuring that both trial participants and centres are recruited and retained in the study. (see participant retention and collaborator centre retention)

Identifying and implementing effective strategies to ensure that recruitment to the trial is maintained and follow-up continued are essential components of trial management. It is important that participants are aware of what follow up entails and that the necessary consent has been obtained at recruitment.

Things to consider

For on going recruitment -

Check the progress of patients through the trial and check randomization into the different groups is comparable. Use computer systems to monitor and review on a regular basis.
Continue to bring on new centres as appropriate. (see collaborator trial recruitment)
Always plan ahead.
Be adaptable if things are not working and change them.

For follow-up -

Make sure you have all the necessary regulatory permissions e.g. ethics approval
Plan when contact with participants should be made and where possible have computerised reminders. Contact is usually six monthly to yearly depending on the trial question.

Additional resources

Checklist of what to think about to maximize questionnaire response rates

This checklist has been contributed by Barbara Farrell who prepared it for the third version of the Trial Management Guide.