• Department of Medicine and Section of Health Services Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center (152), 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA. mford@bcm.tmc.edu.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to enhance retention among African American men enrolled in a cancer screening trial.

DESIGN: A telephone-based, randomized trial design was used. The intervention group included 352 African American men aged 55+. Case managers contacted participants at least monthly and provided information and referral services to participants and their relatives.

RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 65.7 years. A total of 14,978 calls were made resulting in 780 referrals. The 10 most frequent referrals were for scheduling medical appointments, health information, insurance information, legal aid, transportation, cancer screening information, information technology/computer information, employment, housekeeping/chore services, and food programs.

CONCLUSIONS: The case managers served as links between participants and community-based resources. The types of referrals made could be associated with the age-related needs of the participants.