The use of electronic medical records for recruitment in clinical trials: findings from the Lifestyle Intervention for Treatment of Diabetes trial

BACKGROUND: The use of the electronic medical record (EMR) system in recruitment in clinical trials has the potential for providing a very reliable and cost-effective recruiting methodology which may improve participant recruitment in clinical trials. We examined a recruitment approach centered on the use of the EMR, as well as other traditional methods, in the Lifestyle Intervention for Treatment of Diabetes (LIFT Diabetes) trial. METHODS: LIFT Diabetes is a randomized controlled trial designed to investigate the effects of two contrasting interventions on cardiovascular disease risk: a community-based intensive lifestyle program aimed at achieving weight loss and a clinic-based enhanced diabetes self-management program. Eligible participants were overweight/obese (body mass index, BMI ≥25 kg/m(2)) patients with type 2 diabetes who were aged 21 years or older. Recruitment strategies included the use of the EMR system (primary), direct referrals, media advertisements, and community screenings. RESULTS: A total of 1102 telephone screens were conducted, resulting in randomization of 260 participants (61.5 % from EMR, mean age 56.3 years, 66.2 % women, 48.1 % non-Hispanic blacks) over a 21-month period, with a yield of 23.6 %. Recruitment yields differed by recruitment method, with referrals having the highest yield (27.5 %). A history of cardiovascular disease was the main health reason for exclusion from the study (16.5 %). An additional 8.9 % were excluded for BMI <25 kg/m(2) (<27 kg/m(2) for insulin users), 5.4 % could not exercise, 5.2 % had an HbA1c >11 %, and 34.9 % were excluded for other non-medical reasons. Exclusion criteria did not appear to differentially affect enrollment in terms of race or ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Future clinical studies should tailor their recruitment strategies based on the participant demographics of interest. Efficient methods such as using the EMR system and referrals should be prioritized over labor-intensive, low-yielding methods such as community screenings and mass mailings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01806727. Registered on 5 March 2013. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1631-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.