RESUMEN
Introduction: Pediatric clinical trials are difficult to conduct, leading to off-label use of medication in children based on results of trials with adults. As a unique population, children deserve to have appropriately tested therapies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pediatric caregivers' beliefs and perceived barriers to participation in clinical trials. Methods: The study was completed within the Sunflower Pediatric Clinical Trials Research Extension (SPeCTRE), an affiliate of the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN). This was a cross-sectional survey, adapted from the Pediatric Research Participation Questionnaire. A convenience sample of pediatric caregivers was recruited in three areas of a highly rural Midwestern state between 2017 and 2018. Results: A total of 159 caregivers completed surveys; the majority (72.3%) were previously familiar with clinical trials, but less than 20% had ever been invited to participate. Caregivers were willing to consider enrolling their child if a physician in whom they had high trust recommended the trials (H = 10.1, p = 0.04) and if there were perceived benefits, such as access to tests and medications not covered by insurance (correlation coefficient [CC] = 0.4, p < 0.01) and compensation for time and travel (CC = 0.3, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Trust in their physician highly influences likelihood of a caregiver consenting to have their child participate in a clinical trial. Therefore, to facilitate opportunities for children to participate in clinical trials, physicians need to be trained so they can offer trials locally. In addition, trials need to offer benefits, such as increased access to tests and medications as well as appropriate compensation.
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Introduction: Clinical trials are the gold standard for assessing the effectiveness and safety of treatments. The objective of this study was to assess provider opinions regarding implementing pediatric clinical trials in various practice settings across Kansas. Methods: The study was completed within the Sunflower Pediatric Clinical Trials Research Extension (SPeCTRE), an affiliate of the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN). A cross-sectional, 36-item survey was administered to a state-wide convenience sample targeting health care providers and clinic staff. Results: A total of 115 health care providers and clinic staff completed surveys; 31% were physicians. Physicians were more likely than other clinic staff to have experience with clinical trials (correlation coefficient [CC] = 0.270, p = 0.004). When compared to urban respondents, rural providers were less supportive of recruitment for clinical trials in their practices (CC = -0.251, p = 0.008) and more likely to feel comfortable referring patients for clinical trials involving treatments that their insurance did not cover (CC = 0.302, p = 0.001). Conclusions: A range of rural and urban health care professionals supported conducting pediatric clinical trials but identified several barriers as well. These results will support future pediatric clinical trials across the country including Kansas.
RESUMEN
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between health behaviors and their levels of positive and negative affect and determine the overall level of physical health and mental health among members of the armed forces. Overall, the results showed that veterans in the Army, Navy and Marines are more often than members who are in the Air Force to be deployed. Members in the Army, Navy and Marines also experience higher levels of reported cases of PTSD, higher levels of negative affect (i.e. anxiety), a lower health composite score and report poorer perception of their own health. This study also showed that veterans of the Air Force had a stronger emphasis on their physical health which resulted in higher levels of positive affect (excited about life). Limitations and future directions of this research are discussed.