A Preliminary Study of Clinical Trial Enrollment Decisions Among People with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Their Study Partners

The purpose of this mixed-methods interview study was to elucidate how people with mild cognitive impairment and their study partners decide whether to enroll in clinical trials. A joint decision to enroll in a clinical trial was reported by most interviewees. Agreement to enroll was lower among nonspousal dyads compared with spousal dyads. Deterrents to enrollment included concerns about patient safety and inconvenience, especially for study partners. Motivators to enrollment included altruism, the desire to contribute to research, hope for patient benefit, and the desire to learn more about the patient's condition. When asked open-ended questions about motivators to enroll in trials, few people cited access to biomarker testing specifically. However, when asked directly, most people expressed a desire to undergo biomarker testing.

Cox CG, Ryan B A MM, Gillen DL, Grill JD. A preliminary study of clinical trial enrollment decisions among people with mild cognitive impairment and their study partners. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2019;27(3):322-332.