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Table 3 Summary of barriers and enablers to the recruitment and retention of general practitioners

From: Recruiting and retaining GPs and patients in intervention studies: the DEPS-GP project as a case study

 

Enablers

Barriers

Recruitment

• Use of existing database

• Minor promotion

• Letter of invitation

• Appealing topic

• Time commitment presented as minimal

• CPD points

• Errors in database

Retention

• Establishing relationship with GP and clinic staff and providing regular contact

• Minimising tasks for participants and providing support

• Providing clear instructions for participation

• Creating instructions on how to use software to complete specific project tasks

• GP overestimating eligibility

• Project time-line changes

• Tasks involved with the audit needed to be completed by GP rather than staff

• Inability to follow study protocols

• Use of non-standardised medical record system

• Non-computerised practice

• Patients not wanting to participate