Educating Patients on Clinical Trials
There is a growing concern about lack of patients for participation in clinical trials – trials needed to fuel evidence-based research so scientific based recommendations regarding health care trends can be made. For example, according to the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups, only 3% of U.S. adults with cancer participate in clinical trials, a number too small to determine the effectiveness of a treatment, drug or supplement. Nearly 200,000 newly diagnosed patients may be eligible to take part in cancer trials, but only about 50,000 do so according to the Coalition of Cancer group.
What prohibits the participation? According to researchers, it is fear. But studies show otherwise – they show it is ignorance of the option of a clinical trial. According to one study, 85% of cancer patients were either unaware or unsure at their time of diagnosis that participation was an option. So, various outreach organizations are out to educate the public on why clinical trials are necessary and how to find out if one if right for the patient. Among other outreach efforts, the Center for Information and study on Clinical Research Participations is trying to raise awareness of the benefits of clinical trials. They offer information to patients and try to help match a trial to the patient. Other resources include the free web tool EmergingMed.com (http://www.emergingmed.com/) – unlike other free tools like ClinicalTrials.gov, EmergingMed actually compares patients’ short personal profiles to the enrollment criteria for thousands of trials in minutes.
Some of the questions trial participants should ask are the following:
• How do the risks, side effects and benefits compare with my current treatment?
• Who pays for the experimental treatment?
• How will patients be informed about new risks identified during the trial?
• Will results of the trial be provided to me?
Clinical Trials are methods of gathering data to determine the best treatments available and risks associated with the treatments. Educating the public about the need for these studies is one step towards achieving the necessary gathering of information for evidence-based practice.
About the Author
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
