Effects of disclosing financial interests on attitudes toward clinical research.
BACKGROUND
The effects of disclosing financial interests to potential research participants are not well understood.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of financial interest disclosures on potential research participants' attitudes toward clinical research.


METHODS
Computerized experiment conducted with 3,623 adults in the United States with either diabetes mellitus or asthma, grouped by lesser and greater severity. Respondents read a description of a hypothetical clinical trial relevant to their diagnosis that included a financial disclosure statement. Respondents received 1 of 5 disclosure statements.


METHODS
Willingness to participate in the hypothetical clinical trial, relative importance of information about the financial interest, change in trust after reading the disclosure statement, surprise regarding the financial interest, and perceived effect of the financial interest on the quality of the clinical trial.


RESULTS
Willingness to participate in the hypothetical clinical trial did not differ substantially among the types of financial disclosures. Respondents viewed the disclosed information as less important than other factors in deciding to participate. Disclosures were associated with some respondents trusting the researchers less, although trust among some respondents increased. Most respondents were not surprised to learn of financial interests. Researchers owning equity were viewed as more troubling than researchers who were compensated for the costs of research through per capita payments.


CONCLUSIONS
Aside from a researcher holding an equity interest, the disclosure to potential research participants of financial interests in research, as recommended in recent policies, is unlikely to affect willingness to participate in research.
Weinfurt
Kevin P
KP
Center for Clinical and Genetic Economics, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27715, USA. kevin.weinfurt@duke.edu
Hall
Mark A
MA
Dinan
Michaela A
MA
DePuy
Venita
V
Friedman
Joëlle Y
JY
Allsbrook
Jennifer S
JS
Sugarman
Jeremy
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000941:ethics*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D003625:Data Collection; D003657:Decision Making; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D035842:Research Subjects / Q000523:psychology*; D035502:Trust