PRESENTING CLINICAL-TRIAL INFORMATION - A COMPARISON OF METHODS

The study objective was to assess the relative effects of 2 approaches to teaching about a clinical trial, in terms of patients' satisfactio n, information understanding, and whether or not they would enter such a trial. One hundred patients receiving radiation therapy for a varie ty of cancer diagnoses were randomized to receive information about a hypothetical trial, either by audio tape or interactive computer progr am. A day later, information understanding was assessed. One week late r, method satisfaction and whether respondents would enter such a tria l were assessed. There were no differences in understanding or satisfa ction. Members of the computer program group tended to report a more p ositive attitude towards trial entry (chi(2) = 4.0; 1 df; P = 0.05). O verall, refusers tended to be women with higher understanding scores. The results suggest that teaching with interactive components might no t adversely affect trial accrual. Further work involving an actual tri al entry decision is merited; the sex of the respondent should be cont rolled in designing this future work.