Raising Public Awareness of Clinical Trials: Development of Messages for a National Health Communication Campaign

Area of Science:

• Clinical research
• Public health communication
• Patient recruitment

Background:

• Clinical trials are crucial for medical advancement but often fail recruitment goals.
• Low participation rates hinder the development of new treatments and patient quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify effective communication messages for a national campaign to increase clinical trial awareness and interest.
• To understand motivations and concerns of the public and primary care physicians regarding clinical trial participation.

Main Methods:

• Formative research conducted with two key populations: the general public and primary care physicians.
• Qualitative analysis to identify key themes and message preferences for a communication campaign.

Main Results:

• Participants are motivated by self-interest and the desire for personal health benefits.
• Messages normalizing clinical trials as standard, state-of-the-art care reduce concerns.
• Clear, concise messaging with actionable steps and relatable portrayals are preferred.
• Healthy audiences showed lower interest, indicating a need for targeted approaches.

Conclusions:

• Tailored messaging is essential to effectively recruit participants for clinical trials.
• Engaging primary care physicians is a critical strategy to enhance patient awareness and participation.
• Communication campaigns should focus on self-benefit, hope, and clear calls to action.