Participant Retention in a Prospective Multicenter Cohort of Participants With Pancreatitis and Factors Associated With Attrition

Authors

• Radmila Choate
• Jun Xu
• Jeffrey J Easler
• Samuel Han
• Anna E Phillips
• Melena D Bellin
• William E Fisher
• Evan L Fogel
• Chris Forsmark
• Phil A Hart
• Stephen J Pandol
• Walter G Park
• Jose Serrano
• Stephen K Van Den Eeden
• Santhi Swaroop Vege
• Liang Li
• Darwin L Conwell
• Dhiraj Yadav

Language

English

Publication Date

2-1-2026

Journal

Pancreas

DOI

10.1097/MPA.0000000000002550

PMID

41081560

PMCID

PMC13284902

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

6-23-2026

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Author MSS

Abstract

Objectives: Participant retention is essential in prospective studies to minimize bias and maintain validity. This study aimed to estimate retention rates and identify factors influencing attrition in a multicenter cohort (PROCEED) of US adults with acute/recurrent acute pancreatitis (AP/RAP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP).

Methods: Participants from the PROCEED study with AP/RAP or CP eligible for follow-up within the designated visit window were included. Retention was defined as completing at least one follow-up visit during the observation period. Retention was analyzed by follow-up mode (in-person and/or medical record review) and disease type (AP/RAP and CP). Retention factors were assessed using univariate analyses (Wilcoxon rank-sum for continuous variables, χ 2 /Fisher's exact for categorical) and multivariable logistic regression. Missing data were adjusted using multiple imputations in statistical modeling.

Results: Among 1279 participants (AP/RAP: n=632, median age 47, 48.9% female; CP: n=647, median age 54, 46.5% female), we observed high cumulative and annualized retention rates, with improved retention when incorporating medical record reviews. In multivariable regression analyses, older age was statistically significantly associated with in-person retention in the AP/RAP group ( P =0.0001), while a higher self-reported physical health (assessed with PROMIS Global Health Physical Health T-score) was a key predictor of retention in CP ( P =0.034).

Conclusions: Integrating medical records review substantially enhanced retention rates, enabling robust analyses of pancreatitis outcomes and disease progression. Older age and better self-reported physical health were key predictors of retention, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to enhance engagement among younger participants and those with poorer health in long-term studies.

Keywords

Humans, Female, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Adult, Pancreatitis, Pancreatitis, Chronic, Aged, Acute Disease, Recurrence, Age Factors, United States, Participant retention, Pancreatitis, PROCEED

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Choate, Radmila; Xu, Jun; Easler, Jeffrey J; et al., "Participant Retention in a Prospective Multicenter Cohort of Participants With Pancreatitis and Factors Associated With Attrition" (2026). Faculty, Staff and Students Publications. 7853.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/7853