From information processing to behavioral intentions: exploring cancer patients' motivations for clinical trial enrollment.

Overview

OBJECTIVE: To investigate cancer patients' motivations for clinical trial enrollment, this study tests the proposition that a model of Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) could serve as an antecedent to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). METHODS: With data from a telephone survey, we examined whether components of the RISP model had significant impact on belief-based attitudes and behavioral intentions. RESULTS: Risk judgment and affective responses, especially optimistic feelings, consistently related to attitudes and behavioral intentions. Trust in doctors also significantly related to our respondents' positive attitudes toward clinical trials. CONCLUSION: The RISP model might have more constrained applicability as compared to the TPB in explaining cancer patients' motivations for clinical trial enrollment. However, certain components of the RISP model seemed to contribute to our respondents' attitude formation as interesting additions to the TPB. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Communication about clinical trials is a balance act between providing sufficient information about the potential risks and benefits involved in a clinical trial and managing emotional responses that cancer patients associate with participation. Both acts contribute to the formation of positive attitudes toward clinical trials among cancer patients, which is the driving force behind their intentions for clinical trial enrollment.