Race/ethnicity may indicate willingness to participate in clinical trials

The COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need for clinical trials to identify safe and effective treatments. Researchers from the Philadelphia CEAL Regional Team examined the connection between confidence in the federal government’s oversight of COVID-19 vaccines and willingness to participate in these clinical trials.

“Even subtle increases in willingness to participate in clinical trials can have profound implications for medical research, potentially leading to advancements in treatment development, improved patient outcomes, and ultimately, enhanced healthcare delivery.” BMC Public Health, July 2024

Researchers collected data from four surveys between September 2021 and February 2023. The public’s willingness to participate in COVID-19 clinical trials remained the same over the 18-month period despite changes in the public’s perception of the pandemic. Researchers also found that Hispanics were more willing to participate in COVID-19 clinical trials when compared to non-Hispanic whites. The authors cited studies on willingness to participate in clinical trials for cancer that both support and oppose this finding.

Researchers suggest tailoring clinical trial information for diverse communities may be one way to build the public’s trust in the federal government’s oversight of COVID-19 vaccine safety. A better understanding of willingness to participate in COVID-19 clinical trials also has implications for developing treatments for long-term COVID-19.

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