Improving recruitment in clinical trials: why eligible participants decline
Open accessAbstract
There is a need to explore why protocol-eligible subjects refuse participation in clinical trials. Without a clear understanding, participation by representative populations will be an ongoing obstacle to recruitment. This descriptive research study analyzes frequency data regarding a sample of 965 individuals who, despite being eligible for studies with the National Institute of Mental Health intramural program, declined research participation. Overall, responses regarding reasons for declining fell into the following five categories: A result of specific protocol issues; inconvenience; for other reasons not mentioned; financial reasons; and, lastly, decided to participate elsewhere. The results of this study identify common factors which suggest there are steps that investigators can take to better accommodate the needs of the public and, consequently, improve research participation.
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Compensation for participation consisted of a small box of chocolate, which should reduce selection bias.
“Additionally, compensation for participation consisted of a small box of chocolate, which should reduce selection bias (58).”
From The Relationship Between Generalised Joint Hypermobility and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults: A Large, Cross-Sectional, Case Control Comparison (2022) · cites this paper as [58]
The Results (Financial Reasons; page unavailable) report that some eligible people declined trials that offered no pay, supporting a link between compensation and participation. The paper does not assess whether a small box of chocolate reduces selection bias; that prediction goes beyond its findings. (LLM, conf=0.79)
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Cites
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- Authors
- Brintnall-Karabelas, J., Sung, S., Cadman, M. E., Squires, C., Whorton, K., & Pao, M.
- Affiliations
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- ORCID
- Pao, Maryland
- Venue
- Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2011-03
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 69-74
- ISSN
- 1556-2646 (ISSN-L)
- 1556-2654
- PMC
- PMC3251924
- OpenAlex
- W2023337657
- Cited by
- 73
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (Z99 MH999999)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ethics in Clinical Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ethics and bioethics in healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Health and Medical Research Impacts
- Keywords
- clinical trial recruitment, research participation, convenience, financial barriers
- MeSH terms
- Mental Disorders, Clinical Trials as Topic, Patient Selection, Refusal to Participate
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