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Why we screen.
Feb. 11th, 2005 07:41 pmWe've started running subjects for our study on coping and immune function in HIV. Because we're asking a lot of our subjects, and because we're trying to make the study as clean and rigorous as possible, we have a long list of inclusion/exclusion criteria. We've currently rejected about twice as many people as we've actually enrolled.
And a good thing, too. For example, here are two conversations I had today. ( Read more... )
This is why I tell our research assistants, repeatedly, "No one has a right to be in our study. We're not providing a treatment that it would be unfair to deny people access to. So, even if someone passes the exclusion criteria? If they're a big enough jerk that you don't want to have to deal with them every six months for the next three years, go ahead and reject them."
Although sometimes it's sad that the converse isn't true. Like the very sweet, likeable woman who told me, with justifiable pride, that she'd been clean for ten weeks - I hated having to tell her that it wasn't good enough. It seemed as though she was on a path that was hard enough already without a stranger telling her she didn't measure up. But maybe in a couple of months, she'll come back and enroll.
And a good thing, too. For example, here are two conversations I had today. ( Read more... )
This is why I tell our research assistants, repeatedly, "No one has a right to be in our study. We're not providing a treatment that it would be unfair to deny people access to. So, even if someone passes the exclusion criteria? If they're a big enough jerk that you don't want to have to deal with them every six months for the next three years, go ahead and reject them."
Although sometimes it's sad that the converse isn't true. Like the very sweet, likeable woman who told me, with justifiable pride, that she'd been clean for ten weeks - I hated having to tell her that it wasn't good enough. It seemed as though she was on a path that was hard enough already without a stranger telling her she didn't measure up. But maybe in a couple of months, she'll come back and enroll.
