Effect of timed incentives on subject participation in a study of long-term breast cancer survivors: are there ethnic differences?

The recruitment and retention of African Americans into cancer control studies presents a formidable task to the scientific and policy communities as well as patient and advocacy communities. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the role of a timed incentive schedule on response rates in a study of African American and white breast cancer survivors. A mailed quality-of-life survey battery was sent to 583 breast cancer survivors (50% African American, 50% white). Half of the participants received payment in advance, whereas the other half was promised payment. The overall response rate was 54% (n = 278). The timing of incentives did not affect participation rates in either ethnic group. About 51% of the respondents were from the payment-in-advance condition and 49% were from the paid-on-completion condition. Therefore, we conclude that payment on completion may be the more cost-effective approach in studies with higher socioeconomic status patients, such as this sample of breast cancer survivors.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes