Although the percentage varies by country, only a small fraction — an estimated 8.1 percent — of patients participate in oncology clinical trials. Reasons for not participating vary by patient, but some key reasons cited include lack of patient awareness about available trials, communications challenges in the recruitment process, desire to remain with the “standard of care”, or study protocol misalignment with patient needs. Given the high unmet patient need, sites must understand the patient journey from their perspective and strive to meet patients where they are to recruit patients effectively. When evaluating this journey, it is important to look beyond the treatment pathway; focusing on the course of the disease, to their emotional pathway — including how they are responding physically and emotionally, when and where they seek support and where they find information.
Understanding this emotional pathway provides crucial insights into the uniqueness of each patient.
