Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-30-2024

Comments

This article is the author's final published version in JMIR Cancer, Volume 10, 2024, Article number e56048.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.2196/56048. Copyright ©Ariel Hoadley, Linda Fleisher, Cassidy Kenny, Patrick JA Kelly, Xinrui Ma, Jingwei Wu, Carmen Guerra, Amy E Leader, Mohammed Alhajji, Paul D’Avanzo, Zoe Landau, Sarah Bauerle Bass.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Black/African American adults are underrepresented in oncology clinical trials in the United States, despite efforts at narrowing this disparity.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore differences in how Black/African American oncology patients perceive clinical trials to improve support for the clinical trial participation decision-making process.

METHODS: As part of a larger randomized controlled trial, a total of 244 adult oncology patients receiving active treatment or follow-up care completed a cross-sectional baseline survey on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical trial knowledge, health literacy, perceptions of cancer clinical trials, patient activation, patient advocacy, health care self-efficacy, decisional conflict, and clinical trial intentions. Self-reported race was dichotomized into Black/African American and non-Black/African American. As appropriate, 2-tailed t tests and chi-square tests of independence were used to examine differences between groups.

RESULTS: Black/African American participants had lower clinical trial knowledge (P=.006), lower health literacy (P<.001), and more medical mistrust (all P values <.05) than non–Black/African American participants. While intentions to participate in a clinical trial, if offered, did not vary between Black/African American and non–Black/African American participants, Black/African American participants indicated lower awareness of clinical trials, fewer benefits of clinical trials, and more uncertainty around clinical trial decision-making (all P values <.05). There were no differences for other variables.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite no significant differences in intent to participate in a clinical trial if offered and high overall trust in individual health care providers among both groups, beliefs persist about barriers to and benefits of clinical trial participation among Black/African American patients. Findings highlight specific ways that education and resources about clinical trials could be tailored to better suit the informational and decision-making needs and preferences of Black/African American oncology patients.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

PubMed ID

39348891

Language

English

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