Table 2.
Descriptive statistics for barriers and facilitators to referring patients to clinical trials
| Mean (Standard Deviation) | |
|---|---|
| Likelihood of participating in clinical trial referral activities | |
| Refer patients to participate in trial | 3.6 (1.7) |
| Look for active trials for patient | 2.0 (1.3) |
| Conduct preliminary screening for eligibility | 2.4 (1.6) |
| Educate patients about trial participation | 2.9 (1.6) |
| Participate in in-service training about conducting trials | 2.6 (1.6) |
| Barriers: factors preventing referral of patients to clinical trials | |
| No time to assess protocols | 5.7 (1.5) |
| No time to discuss research with patients | 5.5 (1.6) |
| Do not receive recognition for referring patients | 3.5 (2.4) |
| No financial support for participating in referral | 3.4 (2.2) |
| Not aware of what trial opportunities exist | 6.2 (1.1) |
| No clinic-wide process to identify appropriate trials | 6.3 (0.9) |
| Unsure how to evaluate study protocols | 4.5 (1.7) |
| Not knowledgeable about study topic | 4.4 (1.7) |
| Absence of feedback about trial results | 3.7 (2.0) |
| Barriers: provider concerns about patient health management | |
| Study could negatively affect relationship with patients | 2.5 (1.7) |
| Lose control over managing patient’s care | 2.4 (1.6) |
| Uncertainty about health effects of investigational treatments | 3.3 (1.7) |
| Uncertainty about trustworthiness of study sponsor or investigator | 2.5 (1.4) |
| Barriers: patient-related barriers to referral to clinical trials | |
| Patients live too far away from research site | 4.1 (1.9) |
| Study participation is too burdensome for patients | 3.9 (1.7) |
| Patients wary of loss of privacy/confidentiality | 3.4 (1.8) |
| Patients aren’t interested in participating in trials | 3.8 (1.5) |
| Facilitators: factors that would make clinician more likely to refer patients to clinical trials | |
| Introduction to study presented in clinic | 4.7 (1.8) |
| Consistent clinic-level workflow for referring patients | 5.2 (1.8) |
| Electronic health record recruitment alerts | 4.3 (2.2) |
| Documentation of patient enrollment and study outcomes in electronic health record | 4.5 (1.8) |
| Full-time, onsite study coordinator to enroll patients | 5.6 (1.7) |
| Bilingual coordinator to help refer non-English speaking patients | 5.0 (1.7) |
| Dedicated time to participate in research | 5.0 (2.0) |
| Facilitators: importance of trial referral in professional identity | |
| Facilitating clinical trial recruitment is a valuable part of my job | 2.4 (1.6) |
| Referring patients to clinical trials is personally rewarding | 2.9 (1.5) |
| Recommending studies to patients is important to me | 3.1 (1.6) |