Internet-based surveillance tools are the latest approach used by clinicians for recruiting participants in clinical studies. Due to the rapid onset and short duration of the symptoms of a cold, particularly that of cough, an internet-based surveillance program was developed and its feasibility assessed for the recruitment of children aged 6-11 years in clinical studies on the common cold. The feasibility of recording the natural history of the symptoms of cold was also determined.
This study required each child participant’s parent to possess access to a home computer with an internet connection during the 6-week surveillance period. A patient recruitment provider with an extensive database of individuals who had chosen to receive new health information and clinical study invitations were used to identify potential subjects. However, screening and evaluations were performed online by…
