The RESPECT Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Radiotherapy patient experiences and perceptions of enrolling in clinical trials: A qualitative study to inform patient-centric best practice for enrolment
IRAS ID
213867
Contact name
Kim Meeking
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 0 days
Research summary
Clinical trials help develop the latest radiotherapy treatments through innovative research. The trial treatments, if proven successful, later become the standard of care so that future patients can benefit from the advancements. Recent publications by Cancer Research UK have emphasised the need for improved recruitment to radiotherapy trials in order to bring forward these cutting edge treatments. The challenge is that less than 1% of cancer patients take part in radiotherapy clinical trials despite approximately 50% of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy as part of their treatment.
The RESPECT study aims to explore the opinions and experiences of radiotherapy patients regarding clinical trial participation, to see how trials can be made more accessible to them. This study is looking at why eligible patients decide whether to enrol, what influences their decision to participate and whether there are any practical changes that will help trial recruitment.
Radiotherapy patients willing to participate in the RESPECT study will be invited to take part in an informal confidential interview in the local research facility. By collating various patients' views, the researchers hope that they will be able to explore ways of improving patient experience and accessibility of information. The discussions will be transcribed and analysed by trained research staff and the findings from the study will be disseminated to other research teams to improve engagement and recruitment in radiotherapy clinical trials.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SC/0641
Date of REC Opinion
9 Dec 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion