Clinical trial knowledge, discussion, and participation among cancer survivors: A HINTS-SEER study.
Erin O Wissler Gerdes, Sarah H Nash, Robin C Vanderpool and 3 others
PMID 39675132WHAT IT FOUND
Talking to a healthcare provider about clinical trials was the strongest predictor of patients knowing about them.
However, only 15% of cancer survivors had such a discussion, and provider talks did not close knowledge gaps for less educated or financially insecure groups.
Key findings
01Patients who discussed clinical trials with a healthcare provider had significantly higher odds of having at least some knowledge about trials compared to those who did not.
02Despite high self-reported knowledge, only a small minority of cancer survivors had actually discussed clinical trials with their medical team.
03Sociodemographic factors such as education, financial security, and race/ethnicity remained significant predictors of clinical trial knowledge even after accounting for whether a provider discussion occurred.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The response rate was low (12.6%), which may introduce bias despite weighting. The sample was not nationally representative and had low representation of non-Hispanic Black patients. Data relied on self-report, which is prone to recall error regarding whether a discussion occurred. The study did not measure the quality, depth, or initiator of the clinical trial discussions, nor did it identify which specific provider (e.g., nurse vs. physician) had the conversation.
Declared interests
The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships. The study used data from the NCI-sponsored HINTS-SEER pilot project.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that simply having a brief conversation about clinical trials will equalize knowledge among all patients. The study found that provider discussion was the strongest predictor of knowledge, but it did not remove the significant gaps associated with education, financial security, and race/ethnicity.