The Rethinking Clinical Trials (REaCT) Program. A Canadian-Led Pragmatic Trials Program: Strategies for Integrating...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Patient and health care provider (HCP) surveys are crucial for understanding breast cancer management.
• The REaCT program has a history of conducting surveys to gather insights from patients and HCPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the methodology and outcomes of patient and HCP surveys conducted by the REaCT program.
• To highlight the integration of survey data into breast cancer research and clinical trial development.

Main Methods:

• Review of 15 patient surveys (2298 respondents) and 13 HCP surveys (1033 respondents) from the REaCT program.
• Analysis of survey distribution methods, duration, and response rates over time.
• Assessment of the impact of survey data on research outputs.

Main Results:

• Electronic survey distribution has become the norm, replacing paper-based methods.
• Patient surveys had a median response rate of 84%, while HCP surveys had a median response rate of 28%.
• Survey data have informed 10 systematic reviews, 6 grant applications, and 19 clinical trials.

Conclusions:

• The REaCT program successfully integrates surveys into its research process, generating valuable data for breast cancer management.
• The shift towards electronic surveys and the need for alternative distribution methods are highlighted, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Survey data are essential for knowledge translation and advancing clinical research in oncology.