A paired survey study on community perceptions of clinical trials: Shaping outcomes across medical fields

TL;DR

This study shows that a short educational session can improve underrepresented groups' willingness to join clinical trials.

Contribution

A community-focused educational intervention significantly improved perceptions and willingness to participate in clinical trials.

Findings

Participants showed increased comfort with clinical trial participation after the intervention.

Belief in protections and willingness to participate improved significantly.

Comfort in skin-related trials increased notably among participants.

Abstract

Underrepresentation of people of color in clinical trials limits equity in research and treatment outcomes. This study evaluated the impact of a brief, community-focused educational intervention on perceptions and willingness to participate. Participants attended 30-minute sessions (9 virtual, 2 in-person). Identical pre- and post-surveys were analyzed using paired t-tests with Bonferroni correction. Eighty-three participants (90.5% Black, 88.4% female; mean age 46.3) showed significant improvements in comfort with participation, randomization, belief in protections, willingness to participate, and comfort in skin-related trials (all p < 0.05). Brief education may improve understanding and participation attitudes in underrepresented groups.

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