Table 1.
Relevant global screening factors identified for the MACUSTAR study in qualitative evaluation ordered by estimated magnitude of impact on screening numbers
| Screening measures | Factors prioritized in qualitative interviews* | Other factors |
|---|---|---|
| All sites | Change of inclusion criteria (opening for individuals with unilateral intermediate disease) (#8) | Dissemination material (patient flyer, referral letter, study procedure flyers, sample visit schedules) |
| Increase of participant travel expenses reimbursement (#3) | Distribution of study newsletter | |
| Investigator teleconferences (#6) | ||
| Investigator meetings (conferences) (#7) | Letter of appreciation for clinical sites at recruitment start | |
| Increase of study newsletter frequency (monthly to biweekly) (#4) | Implementation of a clinical site questionnaire to identify unsolved issues | |
| Regular coordination teleconferences with the project management and monitors (#5) | ||
| Single sites | Pre-screening lists | |
| Individual contacts with investigators (e-mail, phone, in person) | ||
| Individual contacts with site coordinators | ||
| Appearing in the newsletter as a “top recruiter” | ||
| Interacting factors | Public holiday (#2) | Competitive recruitment |
| Reaching a high proportion of the initial “recruitment target” or exceeding this target (#9) | Communication of recruiting problems by individual sites | |
| Successive initiation of screening activity (#1) | Problems with study devices at individual sites | |
| Consortium core membership (#10) |
* only global factors that could be assigned to specific time periods were allowed
Factors preceded by a # sign were considered relevant in the qualitative evaluation and are displayed in the ranking order obtained in the qualitative evaluation