title: Willingness to participate in cardiac trials.
abstract: The elderly, women, and minorities are all less likely to be enrolled in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Whether differential patient interest in RCTs contributes to these disparities is unclear. The authors surveyed 660 patients willingness to consider two potential cardiac RCTs of medical therapy vs. percutaneous coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery, respectively. The cohorts mean age was 67 years (43% aged >or=70 years; 35% women; and 28% nonwhite). Compared with younger patients, those aged >or=70 years were equal or more likely to consider both the percutaneous coronary angioplasty (46% vs. 41%) and coronary artery bypass surgery RCTs (35% vs. 31%). Race also had no significant impact on trial enrollment, yet women were significantly less likely than men to participate in either RCT. In conclusion, patient willingness to consider RCT participation does not explain underenrollment of elderly and minority patients. Women, however, were more reluctant to consider RCTs, an area requiring further study.
authors.affiliation: The Outcomes Research and Assessment Group, The Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA. peter016@mc.duke.edu
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Lytle
authors.forename: Mimi S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Coombs
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D015331:Cohort Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018579:Patient Selection; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health