Demented patients' participation in a clinical trial: factors affecting the caregivers' decision

✍ Scribed by P. Elad; T. A. Treves; M. Drory; R. Verchovsky; S. Klimovitsky; S. Ben-Laish; S. Yaron; K. Ginzburg; A. D. Korczyn

• Book ID: 101283692
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 82 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1166(200004)15:4<325::aid-gps117>3.0.co;2-9

✦ Synopsis

ASBTRACT

Clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease take place in medical centers all over the world. Patients and caregivers have to decide whether or not to agree to participate in clinical trials. This study aimed to investigate the motivation that determines the caregivers' choice. Nineteen caregivers of demented patients who consented to participate in a clinical trial in our Memory Clinic and 10 caregivers who refused to participate were interviewed. The data were gathered by a self-report questionnaire covering various aspects of the caregivers' decision-making process. Among the reasons for agreeing to participate in the clinical trial were the respondents' belief that it would improve or help to maintain the patients' condition. Most of the respondents of both groups indicated that information regarding side eects and success probability was adequately provided in advance. The primary reason for refusal was the potential side eects of the drug. The implications of the ®ndings are discussed.