A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that remote technologies could potentially lead to an increase in volunteers for cancer clinical trials. Researchers surveyed 1,183 cancer patients who had been diagnosed or treated for the disease in the last seven years. Their findings indicate that between 60 percent and 85 percent of patients would be more likely to participate in clinical trials if remote technology could be used to reduce travel and time commitments.
Let’s take a more detailed look at this study and what it might mean for cancer research and treatment.
Previous Experience With Digital Health Technologies and Clinical Trials
The survey participants were asked several questions related to telehealth, remote care technologies, and their willingness to participate in clinical trials for cancer. About 18 percent of the respondents reported that they had previously participated in cancer clinical trials, while another 6 percent said they had sought out a trial on their own but were unable to find one.
Over three-quarters—77 percent—of the respondents said that they would participate in a cancer clinical trial if it were as easy as their current regular care, with comparable distance and visit frequency. Almost half, 47 percent, said that they would join a trial even if additional travel or appointments were necessary.
Many of the survey participants had some previous experience with remote healthcare outside of clinical trials. About 44 percent of respondents said they had participated in video visits with healthcare providers for cancer-related issues that would otherwise require a trip to the doctor’s office. The vast majority of those respondents reported positive experiences with telehealth. An overwhelming 95 percent said that their problems and questions were properly answered during the video call.
Willingness to Use Remote Care Tools and Technologies
A portion of the survey focused on the general willingness of respondents to use remote care tools and technologies outside of the context of clinical trials. Over 80 percent of respondents said that they were willing to adopt the majority of remote interventions.
In addition, most participants indicated that these interventions were more likely to encourage enrollment in clinical trials. A large majority (86 percent) of respondents also stated that it is important that in-person visits remain an option when enrolled in a clinical trial, even if all of the trial’s activities can be completed at home.
Barriers to Participation in Clinical Trials
These findings show that remote health technologies could be used to make clinical trial participation more accessible for a wide range of groups. Older patients and those with low incomes have more barriers to participating in these trials. It is more difficult for members of these groups to travel far for a trial or attend more in-person visits. Offering remote options for trial participation can help significantly reduce the travel burden of participating in traditional clinical trials.
How Increased Participation Can Improve Cancer Research
Testing treatments on a diversity of patients is key in cancer research, as different groups of people may respond to treatments in different ways. By ameliorating the barriers that prevent older and low-income patients from participating, researchers in clinical trials can gather data on a larger cross-section of the population.
This data can then be examined to determine why certain groups respond better to treatments than others do. Eventually, this larger data set could be used to develop treatments that are effective in all portions of the population.
Limitations of This Study
While these findings are highly encouraging, researchers are aware that the study still has limitations. The survey evaluates hypothetical participation in cancer clinical trials. It cannot predict how many of the participants would follow through and participate.
The questions were also more general and did not specify which type of clinical trial or trial phrase the participants would hypothetically participate in. Clinical trials vary significantly in their goals and intensity. Some participants may have been willing to participate in one form of trial, while unwilling to do so in another.
In addition, the study could potentially have a participant bias. Respondents who participated may be more likely to participate in research in general.
The Growing Popularity of Digital Health Technologies
Digital health technologies have become much more common in the past couple of years, due partly to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these technologies were on the rise before 2020 as well. These technologies can allow a variety of types of patients to more easily access their care.
People who are elderly, disabled, and/or low-income are among the groups that can benefit the most from these technological innovations. They are the most likely to have financial and travel barriers to receiving treatment. For example, low-income rural residents are often far away from relevant clinical trials and lack the means of transportation or funds to travel long distances to participate.
Remote participation in clinical trials and remote medical appointments can benefit both researchers and individual patients. These technologies make it easier for researchers to gather more data and create more effective treatments, while patients can receive their necessary care without the worry of travel burdens.