Chinese patients’ experience in a randomized clinical trial—a comparison of western medicine and Chinese medicine clinical trials

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: No research has been conducted on the experience of Chinese patients in participating in clinical trials. This information will not only inform policy initiatives but also will achieve a more equitable basis for trial participation. Therefore, this study aims to explore Chinese participants’ view and experience in Western medicine (WM) and Chinese medicine (CM) randomized placebo controlled clinical trials. METHODS: The study was based on a semi-structured questionnaire with both close-end and open-end questions answered by Chinese patients who have participated in either a randomized double-blind placebo clinical trial involving WM (n 100) or CM (n 327); these people comprised the study cohort. RESULTS: Altruism (helping others) was the main motivation for Chinese patients to participate in a clinical trials in WM, while trying Chinese medicine was the main motivation for patients to participate in a CM clinical trial. The majority (60%) of the participants in either type of clinical trial found that clinical trial did no harm to them. Participants believed that the largest beneficial parties from the in clinical trials were patients themselves (35%) and the researchers (25-29%) or other patients (22%). The majority of the patients found the methodologies of both clinical trials acceptable. After participating in clinical trials, around 40% of patients will “very likely” participate in clinical trials if they are invited in the future. But this trend is more obvious in CM clinical trial patients with more participants (32.3%) who answered that they “must agree” to participate again if they are invited to join a clinical trial of CM. Even if no incentives were given, many more patients (75%) from the CM clinical trial were willing to join the clinical trial, while only (43%) would do so for the WM clinical trial. CONCLUSION: There are some differences between the motivations for Chinese patients to participate in clinical trials in WM and CM. Present findings may suggest that patients prefer CM clinical trials for alternative choices or alternative development in the health care system in Hong Kong. To improve patient care, more clinical trials of CM should be launched. Clinicians’ experience in clinical trial participation should also be investigated in the future.