Looking toward the future of clinical trials: The application of communication variables to the recruitment of women into breast cancer clinical trials

Current literature on the recruitment of individuals into clinical trials has confirmed many potential barriers to participation (Swanson and Ward, 1995). Discussion of these barriers has emphasized physical constraints. However, there may be cognitive and/or emotional processes that could better explain why individuals do or do not choose to participate in clinical trials. This research seeks to better understand these processes by examining the effects of individuals’ pre‐existing characteristics on their desire to participate in clinical research on breast cancer. The findings indicate that increases in the perceived severity of breast cancer and in perceived ability to avert this threat resulted in research participants’ positive attitude about participating in the clinical trial. These results may be particularly helpful in the creation of appeals designed to motivate individuals to participate in clinical trials.

Keywords:

• clinical trial
• cancer
• tamoxifen
• recruitment