What motivates patients to participate in clinical trials?
In order to connect people with medical research opportunities, it is important to understand what motivates patients to participate in clinical trials. We asked 4,000 volunteers and caregivers to gain insight into their motivation for clinical trial participation. Here’s what we learned.
Why do patients participate in a clinical trial?
The possibility of access to life-extending new treatments
Many patients decide to volunteer for a clinical trial because they are motivated by the possibility of gaining access to potentially life-extending treatments, both for themselves and for others living with the condition. For example, when surveyed, 55% of respondents living with cancer reported that joining trials to extend their own life was the major reason for participating, and more specifically, 97% of respondents with melanoma said they would take part in a trial that “provides me with a drug, therapy, treatment, or medical device that potentially could extend or improve the quality of my life.”
Based on our research findings, it is evident that for individuals living with conditions other than cancer, the motivation to access potentially life-extending treatments is not as prominent. This trend is particularly notable among women and individuals in lower income brackets. Our data indicate that women were less likely than men to consider extending their own life as a primary reason for participating in a clinical trial, with a lower percentage (compared to men) stating it as their motivation. Interestingly, the percentages vary when considering annual salaries, as individuals earning more than $100,000 per year were more likely to view life extension as a significant factor influencing their decision to participate in a trial.
For those outside of the oncology space, our findings suggest that this is not as big of a motivator, especially for women. According to our data, women were less likely to say they joined a trial to extend their own life: 40% reported “this was not the reason,” compared with 29.4% of men.
A sense of altruism
Our survey found altruism to be a significant motivator for participating in research. Among the respondents, 34% indicated that helping future patients was their primary motivation for taking part, and this trend was particularly prevalent for those living with chronic conditions. Since this is a major motivator, making patients feel appreciated and valued for participating in research can go a long way.
Receiving the best care possible
Clinical trials are conducted at academic medical centers, private sites, and pharmaceutical labs, and offer patients access to the latest innovations in medicine and best-in-class healthcare services. According to our survey results, out of the patients surveyed who have participated in a clinical trial, 62.5% said that wanting to receive the best care possible was either “one of the major reasons” or “the major reason” for participating.
To increase patient enrollment and retention, it is essential to prioritize the patient perspective. Adopting a patient-centric approach fosters a spirit of partnership between researchers and participants resulting in more successful outcomes. To see a full picture of what matters most to clinical trial participants, check out our whitepaper, Portrait of the clinical trial participant.
