Raising Public Awareness of Clinical Trials: Development of Messages for a National Health Communication Campaign.
Clinical trials are essential for developing new and effective treatments and improving patient quality of life; however, many trials cannot answer their primary research questions because they fall short of their recruitment goals. This article reports the results of formative research conducted in two populations, the public and primary care physicians, to identify messages that may raise awareness and increase interest in clinical trials and be used in a national communication campaign. Results suggested that participants were primarily motivated to participate in clinical trials out of a self-interest to help themselves first. Messages illustrated that current treatments were tested via clinical trials, helped normalize trials as routine practices, and reduced concerns over trying something new first. Participants wanted messages that portray trials as state-of-the-art choices that offer some hope, show people like themselves, and are described in a clear, concise manner with actionable steps for them to take. The study revealed some differences in message salience, with healthy audiences exhibiting lower levels of interest. Our results suggest that targeted messages are needed, and that communication with primary health-care providers is an important and necessary component in raising patient awareness of the importance of clinical trials.
a Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Division of Cancer Treatment & Diagnosis , National Cancer Institute , Bethesda , Maryland , USA.
Holly A
HA
Massett
b Dilts+Partners, LLC , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
David M
DM
Dilts
c SalterMitchell/Marketing for Change , Alexandria , Virginia , USA.
Robert
R
Bailey
d Westat , Rockville , Maryland , USA.
Jennifer
J
Berktold
e FHI360 , Washington , DC , USA.
Rebecca
R
Ledsky
f Independent Consultant , Takoma Park , Maryland , USA.
Nancy L
NL
Atkinson
a Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Division of Cancer Treatment & Diagnosis , National Cancer Institute , Bethesda , Maryland , USA.
Grace
G
Mishkin
a Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Division of Cancer Treatment & Diagnosis , National Cancer Institute , Bethesda , Maryland , USA.
Andrea
A
Denicoff
g Nursing Consultant , Arlington , Virginia , USA.
Rose Mary
RM
Padberg
h Office of Communications and Public Liaison, Office of the Director , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland , USA.
Marin P
MP
Allen
i Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health , U. S. Department of Health and Human Services , Washington , DC , USA.
Karen
K
Silver
j National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland , USA.
Kelli
K
Carrington
k National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland , USA.
Lenora E
LE
Johnson
D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology; D011639:Public Opinion; D014481:United States