| Abstract |
We studied epidemiological aspects of recruitment of
volunteers for a non-invasive urodynamic study. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
9,236 volunteers were invited by 20 general practitioners (GPs), using two
different recruitment methods, i.e. by mail only, or during a subsequent
visit to the GP's office. Factors influencing the response rates were
analyzed. We also tested how much the recruited population of volunteers
differed from the general population, by comparing it to another, proven
representative study carried out earlier in 1,662 subjects. RESULTS: In
the recruited population the prostate volumes were not significantly
different from the proven representative study, but the symptom score was
statistically significantly higher, although the difference was so small
it may be called clinically irrelevant. Recruitment of volunteers in two
steps, i.e. asking them first to visit the GP's office, and inviting them
there to visit the outpatient clinic, rather than directly inviting them
(in writing) to the clinic seemed to lead to a higher response, although
this effect could not be statistically discriminated from the difference
in response rates between GPs. CONCLUSION: The population recruited was
not urologically different from the general population. The response
depended on age, being highest around the age of 60, and increased with
social economic status. It also depended on the GP who recruited the
subjects, and/or on the recruitment method. |