Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

A Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety, Efficacy, and Delivery of Olive-Oil-Based Three-Chamber Bags for Parenteral Nutrition
04:53

A Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety, Efficacy, and Delivery of Olive-Oil-Based Three-Chamber Bags for Parenteral Nutrition

Published on: September 20, 2019

Clinical trials: the viewpoint of children with a chronic illness compared with healthy children

J Cherrill1, H Hudson, C Cocking

  • 1Academic Division of Child Health, The University of Nottingham, Derby, UK.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|October 22, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Children with chronic illnesses better understand pediatric clinical trial concepts like dosing and placebo. They more strongly support children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric clinical trials
  • Child health research
  • Bioethics in medicine

Background:

  • Understanding children's perspectives is crucial for ethical and effective pediatric clinical trials.
  • Previous research has not fully explored the nuanced views of children, particularly those with chronic conditions, regarding their participation in medical research.
  • Assessing children's comprehension of trial elements like dosing and placebo is vital for informed consent and participation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare the understanding and attitudes towards pediatric clinical trials among healthy children and those with chronic illnesses.
  • To assess children's comprehension of key trial concepts, including medication dosing and placebo use.
  • To evaluate children's willingness to participate in clinical trials and their ability to discern appropriate research contexts.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire-based survey was administered to over 200 children aged 11-16 years.
  • Participants included both healthy children and children attending pediatric medical clinics for chronic illnesses.
  • The survey assessed understanding of trial concepts, willingness to participate, and ethical considerations in pediatric drug studies.

Main Results:

  • Children with chronic illnesses demonstrated a superior understanding of medication dosing (40% vs. 23%) and placebo (34% vs. 20%) compared to healthy children.
  • A higher proportion of children with chronic illnesses supported children's involvement in clinical trials (51% vs. 37%).
  • Both groups showed good discernment regarding the appropriateness of studying medicines in children for conditions lacking treatment (86-89%), but less so for 'me-too' drugs (34-40%). A significant percentage (57-63%) expressed willingness to volunteer for cancer drug trials.

Conclusions:

  • Children with chronic illnesses possess a more developed understanding of pediatric clinical trial parameters.
  • Enhanced support for pediatric clinical trial participation exists among children with chronic conditions.
  • There is a need to increase opportunities for young people to participate in decision-making processes for pediatric medicine research, especially concerning ethical considerations and appropriate trial design.

More Related Videos

A Pediatric Concussion Model in Mice: Closed Head Injury with Long-Term Disorders (CHILD)07:01

A Pediatric Concussion Model in Mice: Closed Head Injury with Long-Term Disorders (CHILD)

Published on: February 7, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Clinical Trials01:16

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Clinical Trials: Overview01:11

Clinical Trials: Overview

Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients01:15

Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients

Bioavailability studies are essential for evaluating a drug's therapeutic efficacy and understanding its absorption patterns under various physiological conditions. Conducting such studies on target patient populations provides more relevant data by simulating real-world disease states. However, practical challenges often necessitate the use of young, healthy adult volunteers as study subjects.Patients may exhibit altered drug absorption patterns due to the effects of the disease itself,...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...
Classification of Illness01:17

Classification of Illness

The meaning of illness is individualized to each person who experiences an alteration in health. In contrast, disease is a medical term indicating a pathological change in the structure and function of the body or mind. It is a condition that has specific symptoms and boundaries.
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...