Participant Motivators and Expectations in the MEL-SELF Clinical Trial

Background

There is limited information about why patients join dermatology clinical trials, especially for melanoma. Understanding what motivates participants is crucial for improving trial methods.

Objective

This study aimed to discover what motivates patients to participate in the MEL-SELF trial, which focuses on patient-led monitoring for melanoma.

Methods

The MEL-SELF trial is recruiting patients who have had localized melanoma, own a smartphone, have a partner to help with skin checks, and regularly visit skin clinics in Australia. We analyzed responses from the first 100 participants who answered two questions about their motivations and expectations for joining the trial. Three independent coders categorized the responses, and we checked for new themes from other participants in the trial.

Results

Out of 100 participants, 98 responded to at least one question. We found three main themes in their answers:

Community Benefit: Many participants wanted to help advance medical research and support future melanoma patients.
Personal Benefit: Participants expected improvements in their health outcomes, such as earlier diagnosis and better access to care.
Trust in Healthcare Providers: A strong relationship with their healthcare providers motivated their participation.

Participants also expressed a desire to gain knowledge about their health and were interested in the benefits of teledermatology.

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of understanding what drives patients to engage in clinical research. The findings show that altruism, self-empowerment, and the benefits of teledermatology are key motivators. These insights can improve the consent process, recruitment, and participant engagement in clinical trials.

Trial Registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12621000176864.

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