Recruiting Practice-based Research Network (PBRN) Physicians to Be Research Participants: Lessons Learned From the North Texas (NorTex) Needs Assessment Study

Article Figures & Data

Table 1.

Consent Rates, Completion Rates, and Efforts to Consent Physicians

	Physician Affiliation
	System A n (%)	System B n (%)	System C n (%)	System D n (%)	P Value
Approached	73	55	58	25
Consented	33 (45.2)	24 (43.6)	29 (50.0)	19 (76.0)	.040
Completed	27 (37.0)	20 (36.4)	23 (39.7)	14 (56.0)	.355
	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)		P Value
Time from first contact to consent, days	31.24 (44.58)	49.75 (89.75)	32.24 (29.60)		.667
Number of contacts before consent	2.45 (1.72)	1.71 (1.04)	2.97 (0.73)		<.001^*

SD, standard deviation.
System A: The Research Coordinator (RC) was responsible for contacting and consenting physicians as well as ensuring completion of study materials. System B: A system physician champion helped the RC make first contact with physician subjects. The RC was then responsible for contacting and consenting physicians and ensuring completion of study materials. System C: The system physician champion selected a lead physician at each clinic. This person worked with the RC for contacting and consenting physicians as well as ensuring completion of study materials. System D: The system physician champion was responsible for all contact with the physician participants. The RC was not permitted to contact physician participants directly. Data for time from first contact to consent and number of contacts before consent were not available for System D.
↵* Significant differences were observed between all three groups for number of contacts before consent.

Table 2.

Time for Institutional Review Board Approval

	Physician Affiliation
	System A	System B	System C	System D
Date of initial IRB submission	04/24/08	07/09/08	06/09/08	06/09/08
Date of initial IRB approval	05/23/08	09/10/08	10/28/08	06/27/08
Date of final IRB approval^*	08/13/08	09/16/08	11/13/08	07/13/08
Total time for final approval, days	111	69	157	34

IRB, institutional review board.
System A: The Research Coordinator (RC) was responsible for contacting and consenting physicians as well as ensuring completion of study materials. System B: A system physician champion helped the RC make first contact with physician subjects. The RC was then responsible for contacting and consenting physicians and ensuring completion of study materials. System C: The system physician champion selected a lead physician at each clinic. This person worked with the RC for contacting and consenting physicians as well as ensuring completion of study materials. System D: The system physician champion was responsible for all contact with the physician participants. The RC was not permitted to contact physician participants directly. Data for time from first contact to consent and number of contacts before consent were not available for System D.
↵* Difference between date of initial and final IRB approval reflects the need for amendment(s).

Table 3.

Lessons Learned for PBRN Research

Ensure adequate time for IRB approval.
Take advantage of the established organizational structure within each site.
Make friends with the office personnel. They control access to the physicians.
Distinguish the research team from pharmaceutical representatives.
Establish a preferred method of contact with each physician.
Set deadlines for study completion.
Provide information and materials in multiple technological formats to account for individual preferences.