RECRUITMENT FOR PHASE-I OF THE TRIALS OF HYPERTENSION PREVENTION

Phase I of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention was a multicenter, ra ndomized, controlled trial designed to determine the efficacy of seven nonpharmacologic interventions in reducing blood pressure among perso ns with high-normal diastolic blood pressure. The initial goal for rec ruitment was to enroll 2,100 participants over a nine-month period. Th e two major strategies for reaching potential participants were direct mailings and work site screenings. The yield from the first screening visit to randomization was 13% overall, with clinic-specific yields r anging from 4.5% to 31.7%. After five months of recruitment, approxima tely 60% of the goal for that point in the recruitment timetable had b een randomized. Clinical centers falling short of their goals at that time altered their recruitment strategies and intensified their effort s, and centers that had exceeded their goals recruited additional part icipants. As a result, 2,182 participants, or 104% of the goal for rec ruitment, were randomized over a 13-month period. Those clinics using a cohort, or wave, type of enrollment were most successful in achievin g their recruitment goals within the prescribed timetable.