Recruitment in the Coronary Drug Project and the Aspirin Myocardial Infarction Study.

Both the Coronary Drug Project (CDP) and the Aspirin Myocardial Infarction Study (AMIS) were successfully able to recruit adequate members of postmyocardial infarction patients to long-term multicenter clinical trials in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Aggressive efforts to achieve the recruitment within an acceptable time limit were found to be neccessary. A direct approach to the general public via the mass media and painstaking search of hospital records proved to be the most effective methods. Referral from physicians was not an effective way to recruit participants for the most part. Both the general public and the medical profession are generally supportive of this type of research.