Improving patient communication in clinical trials
2 min read 09 August 2023
Entering a clinical trial for cancer treatment can be a complex decision for patients.
The Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit (PCCTU) worked with the Health Services Research Team at Peter Mac to uncover ways to improve patient communication and help them navigate this decision.
“The research highlighted that having both comprehensive verbal and written information was important to patients entering a trial for the first time,” said Amelia Hyatt, Senior Research Officer, Health Services Research.
“Many patients did not fully understand trial eligibility with information about randomisation difficult to interpret and a barrier to enrolment for some.
“Patients who were already on trials felt their care was exceptional however transitioning off a trial was an adjustment as they moved to less intense clinical care and there was the worry of spending time on a trial if the treatment was not deemed effective.” Ms Hyatt said.
The PCCTU Manager Marian Lieschke said they undertook the research project to truly understand the complexities of communication with patients already on trials or about to enter a trial to find areas that they could improve.
“We have already implemented changes based on the research findings such as a new team member who is dedicated to helping patients transition off a trial,” Marian said.
“Another area we are working to improve is the handover between the tumour stream clinical nurse consultant and the PCCTU team.
“We are developing an electronic medical record tool for this to ensure there is a continuity of care this will also ensure the knowledge of the patient journey is not lost as they move from standard clinical care to trials and back again,” Marian said.
The research also highlighted that patients are very satisfied with their trial management through the PCCTU overall and small tweaks can make the service and their experience even better.
The research was published in Biomedical Central (BMC) and in was a team effort involving Amelia Hyatt, Dr Rowan Forbes Shepard and Ashleigh Bradford from the Department of Health Services Research.
Contact
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact the Peter Mac Communications team on 0417 123 048.