Improving patient recruitment to multicentre clinical trials: The case foremploying a data manager in a district general hospital-based oncology centre

One of the most frequently cited reasons for poor recruitment to multicentr e randomized clinical trials is the additional workload placed on clinical staff. We report the effect on patient recruitment of employing a data mana ger to support clinical staff in an English district general hospital (DGH) . In addition, we explore the effect data managers have on the quality of d ata collected, proxied by the number of queries arising with the trial orga nizers. We estimate that the cost of employing a data manager on a full-tim e basis is pound 502 per patient recruited but may amount to pound 326 if t he appointment is part-time. Data quality is high when full responsibility lies with a data manager but falls when responsibility is shared. Whether t he costs of employing a data manager to recruit patients from a DGH are wor th incurring depends on the value placed on the speed at which multicentre trials can be completed, how important it is to broaden the research base b eyond the traditional setting of teaching hospitals, and the amount of eval uative data required.