Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2008 Jun 1;26(16):2666-73.
doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.14.8114.

Influence of clinical communication on patients' decision making on participation in clinical trials

Terrance L Albrecht  1 , Susan S Eggly, Marci E J Gleason, Felicity W K Harper, Tanina S Foster, Amy M Peterson, Heather Orom, Louis A Penner, John C Ruckdeschel
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Influence of clinical communication on patients' decision making on participation in clinical trials

Terrance L Albrecht et al. J Clin Oncol. .

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate how communication among physicians, patients, and family/companions influences patients' decision making about participation in clinical trials.

Patients and methods: We video recorded 235 outpatient interactions occurring among oncologists, patients, and family/companions (if present) at two comprehensive cancer centers. We combined interaction analysis of the real-time video-recorded observations (collected at Time 1) with patient self-reports (Time 2) to determine how communication about trial offers influenced accrual decisions.

Results: Clinical trials were explicitly offered in 20% of the interactions. When offers were made and patients perceived they were offered a trial, 75% of patients assented. Observed messages (at Time 1) directly related to patients' self-reports regarding their decisions (2 weeks later), and how they felt about their decisions and their physicians. Specifically, messages that help build a sense of an alliance (among all parties, including the family/companions), provide support (tangible assistance and reassurance about managing adverse effects), and provide medical content in language that patients and family/companions understand are associated with the patient's decision and decision-making process.

Conclusion: In two urban, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers, a large percentage of patients are not offered trials. When offered a trial, most patients enroll. The quality and quantity of communication occurring among the oncologist, patient, and family/companion when trials are discussed matter in the patient's decision-making process. These findings can help increase physician awareness of the ways that messages and communication behaviors can be observed and evaluated to improve clinical practice and research.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

AUTHORS’ DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Although all authors completed the disclosure declaration, the following author(s) indicated a financial or other interest that is relevant to the subject matter under consideration in this article. Certain relationships marked with a “U” are those for which no compensation was received; those relationships marked with a “C” were compensated. For a detailed description of the disclosure categories, or for more information about ASCO’s conflict of interest policy, please refer to the Author Disclosure Declaration and the Disclosures of Potential Conflicts of Interest section in Information for Contributors.

Comment in

References

    1. Avis NE, Smith KW, Link CL, et al. Factors associated with participation in breast cancer treatment clinical trials. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24:1860–1867. - PubMed
    1. Giuliano AR, Mokuau N, Hughes C, et al. Participation of minorities in cancer research: The influence of structural, cultural, and linguistic factors. Ann Epidemiol. 2000;10:S22–S34. - PubMed
    1. Wetzig NR, Gill PG, Ung O, et al. Participation in the RACS sentinel node biopsy versus axillary clearance trial. ANZ J Surg. 2005;75:98–100. - PubMed
    1. Kimmick GG, Peterson BL, Kornblith AB, et al. Improving accrual of older persons to cancer treatment trials: A randomized trial comparing an educational intervention with standard information—CALGB 360001. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:2201–2207. - PubMed
    1. Martel CL, Li Y, Beckett L, et al. An evaluation of barriers to accrual in the era of legislation requiring insurance coverage of cancer clinical trial costs in California. Cancer J. 2004;10:294–300. - PubMed

Publication types