How Semantics Connotations May Influence Concerns About Donation of Biospecimens

Area of Science:

• Biomedical research ethics
• Participant recruitment and retention
• Biobanking and biorepository management

Background:

• Human biospecimen donation is vital for clinical care and research.
• Patient and participant engagement hinges on understanding donation implications and perceived risks.
• Terminology used for biospecimen storage facilities (biobanks vs. biorepositories) may influence donation decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the terms 'biobank' and 'biorepository' affect the likelihood of biospecimen donation.
• To assess the concerns evoked by each term and their impact on donation decisions.

Main Methods:

• A two-group experimental design using surveys on a fictitious biospecimen donation scenario.
• Participants were randomly assigned to read descriptions referencing either a 'biobank' or a 'biorepository'.
• Survey data analyzed to compare donation likelihood and concerns across the two terminology groups.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in the overall likelihood of donation between 'biobank' and 'biorepository' groups (63% extremely likely).
• Factor analysis identified 'use-related' and 'person-related' concerns.
• The term 'biobank' elicited significantly lower perceived importance of 'person-related' concerns compared to 'biorepository'.

Conclusions:

• The term 'biobank' may be preferable for describing biospecimen facilities to mitigate concern biases and potentially enhance participation.
• Misunderstandings or negative associations with terminology can deter participation in biospecimen donation.
• Clear communication and addressing semantic misunderstandings are essential for improving engagement in biospecimen donation for research and clinical care.