Ottman R, Susser M, Hauser W A
Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
J Clin Epidemiol. 1988;41(10):979-84. doi: 10.1016/0895-4356(88)90035-2.
The ability of two voluntary health agencies to provide suitable target populations for epidemiologic research was explored in a pilot study of epilepsy. The results suggest that, properly approached, voluntary agencies offer advantage for this purpose. In the first agency (Group A), subjects were recruited by mail, producing a response rate of 15%. In the second agency (Group B), subjects were recruited by telephone, producing a response rate of 87%. A structured, precoded telephone interview about personal and family history of seizure disorders was administered to both groups of subjects. Subjects in Group A gave permission to contact a higher proportion of their eligible relatives than did those in Group B (73 vs 57%). Permission was obtained more often for relatives reported to have had seizures (Group A 86%, Group B 78%) than for other relatives. 89% of relatives contacted directly agreed to be interviewed. Consent forms for medical record review were signed and returned by 95% of Group A and 77% of Group B subjects. Diagnoses of etiology and seizure type of epilepsy based on the interview data agreed with diagnosis based on the medical records in most cases. In first-degree relatives of subjects with epilepsy, reported rates of epilepsy did not appear to be seriously biased.
在一项癫痫的试点研究中，探讨了两个志愿健康机构为流行病学研究提供合适目标人群的能力。结果表明，如果方法得当，志愿机构在此方面具有优势。在第一个机构（A组），通过邮件招募受试者，回复率为15%。在第二个机构（B组），通过电话招募受试者，回复率为87%。对两组受试者都进行了关于癫痫发作疾病个人和家族史的结构化、预编码电话访谈。A组受试者允许联系其符合条件亲属的比例高于B组（73%对57%）。对于报告有癫痫发作的亲属，获得许可的情况比其他亲属更常见（A组86%，B组78%）。直接联系的亲属中有89%同意接受访谈。A组95%和B组77%的受试者签署并返还了病历审查同意书。在大多数情况下，基于访谈数据对癫痫病因和发作类型的诊断与基于病历的诊断一致。在癫痫患者的一级亲属中，报告的癫痫发病率似乎没有严重偏差。
