title: Patient satisfaction with participation in a randomized exercise trial: effects of randomization and a usual care posttrial exercise program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Participation in an exercise trial is a major commitment for cancer survivors, but few exercise trials have evaluated patient satisfaction with trial participation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine patient satisfaction with participation in the Healthy Exercise for Lymphoma Patients (HELP) Trial and to explore possible determinants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The HELP Trial randomized 122 lymphoma patients to 12 weeks of supervised aerobic exercise training (AET; n = 60) or to usual care (UC; n = 62), with the option of participating in a 4-week posttrial exercise program. At the 6-month follow-up assessment, participants evaluated their overall trial satisfaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Personal satisfaction with trial participation was strongly influenced by group assignment with participants randomized to AET reporting participation to be more rewarding (p < 0.001) and personally useful (p < 0.001) than participants randomized to UC. UC participants who completed the optional 4-week posttrial exercise program reported participation to be more rewarding (p = 0.008) and personally useful (p < 0.001) than UC participants who declined the program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study is limited by the lack of a validated measure of participant satisfaction, and the fact that the offer of participation in the posttrial exercise program to the UC group was not randomized.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lymphoma patients randomized to UC viewed it as less rewarding and personally useful despite being offered a 4-week posttrial exercise program. UC participants who completed the 4-week program reported personal satisfaction levels similar to the AET group; however, the causal direction of this association is unknown. Researchers should continue to evaluate participant satisfaction in exercise trials.
authors.affiliation: aFaculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Kerry S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Courneya
authors.forename: Cynthia C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Forbes
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trinh
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sellar
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Friedenreich
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reiman
mesh_terms: D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*