Financial Concerns About Participation in Clinical Trials Among Patients With Cancer

PurposeThe decision to enroll in a clinical trial is complex given the uncertain risks and benefits of new approaches. Many patients also have financial concerns. We sought to characterize the association between financial concerns and the quality of decision making about clinical trials.MethodsWe conducted a secondary data analysis of a randomized trial of a Web-based educational tool (Preparatory Education About Clinical Trials) designed to improve the preparation of patients with cancer for making decisions about clinical trial enrollment. Patients completed a baseline questionnaire that included three questions related to financial concerns (five-point Likert scales): “How much of a burden on you is the cost of your medical care?,” “I'm afraid that my health insurance won't pay for a clinical trial,” and “I’m worried that I wouldn’t be able to afford the costs of treatment on a clinical trial.” Results were summed, with higher scores indicating greater concerns. We used multiple linear regressions to ...