Clinical Report: Strategies for Enhancing Participation in Clinical Trials

Background

Clinical trials are essential for advancing cancer treatment and improving patient outcomes. However, participation rates remain low, with only 5.2% of patients receiving a clinical study drug between 2011 and 2024. Understanding the barriers to participation is crucial for developing effective strategies to increase enrollment and ensure diverse representation in clinical trials.

Data Highlights

Key Findings

• 5.2% of patients received a clinical study drug from 2011 to 2024.
• 83.6% of enrollments were attributed to 23.4% of physicians.
• 29.7% of physicians recorded no enrollments in clinical trials.
• Structural barriers prevent 60% of treated patients from participating in trials.
• High research engagement practices are more likely to enroll patients in trials.

Clinical Implications

Addressing barriers to clinical trial participation requires targeted interventions at multiple levels, including patient, clinician, and practice levels.

Conclusion

Improving participation in clinical trials is critical for advancing oncology care.

Related Resources & Content

1. Balogh et al, Source, Year -- Today's standard of care treatment emerged from yesterday's clinical trials
2. Unger et al, Source, Year -- The best treatments are received in clinical trials
3. Jiang et al, Source, Year -- Multilevel analysis of limited access to clinical trials
4. ASCO Publications — Strategies to Reach Diverse Populations for Clinical Trials: Approaches Used by Practices Recognized With the 2006 Clinical Trials Participation Award
5. Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) — Keeping Clinical Trials on an Inclusive Track
6. ASCO Publications — Enhancing Clinical Trial Awareness and Outreach
7. ASCO Publications — Patient engagement in clinical trial design and implementation: A pragmatic approach to valued insights.
8. Strategies to Reach Diverse Populations for Clinical Trials
9. Keeping Clinical Trials on an Inclusive Track
10. Enhancing Clinical Trial Awareness and Outreach
11. Conducting Clinical Trials With Decentralized Elements; Guidance for Industry, Investigators, and Other Interested Parties Availability | 89 FR 76481
12. Strategies for increasing accrual in cancer clinical trials: What is the evidence? - PubMed