Abstract:
Many randomised trials in surgery suffer from recruitment rates that lag behind projected targets. We aim to identify perceived barriers to recruitment among these pioneering trials in the field of head and neck cancer surgery. Recruiting centres to all three trials (Selective Elective Neck Dissection (SEND), Positron Emission Tomography (PET)-Neck and Hyperbaric Oxygen in the Prevention of Osteoradionecrosis (HOPON)) were contacted by email by the chief investigators. Responders were asked to complete a web-based survey in order to identify the barriers to recruitment in their centre and grade each by severity. Secondary care: 44 head and neck oncology regional referral centres. Analysis was based on 85 responses evenly distributed between the three trials.
Kaur, Hutchison, Mehanna, Williamson, Shaw, Tudur Smith, , , (2013). Barriers to recruitment for surgical trials in head and neck oncology: a survey of trial investigators. BMJ open, 2013 ;3(4):. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23585392