Table 3.
Number and methods of detecting healthy subjects who attempted to volunteer for a trial in our unit within 3 months of completing a previous trial
| Methods | Year | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011a | |
| TOPSb | – | – | 37 | 12 | 17 | 30 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Signsc | 0 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| We called other CROs | 34 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other CROs called us | 15 | 19 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Volunteer admitted when challenged | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| GP replies | 12 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 68 | 52 | 83 | 18 | 20 | 38 | 20 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 5a |
CRO, Contract research organisation; GP, general practitioner
aFirst half of year only
bTOPS was launched in 2002; no potential over-volunteer was identified by TOPS in that year
cVenepuncture marks on forearm, electrocardiogram electrode marks (or electrodes still in place) or haematology results