Patients' understanding of clinical trials needs to be assessed in the context of understanding of overall goals of care.

摘要

To The Editor, Jefford et al discuss the results of a study designed to assess patients' knowledge and satisfaction regarding the informed consent process in cancer clinical trials (CCT) [1]. This study, carried out across four Australian hospitals, enrolled 102 patients registered in 27 therapeutic CCT. The quality of informed consent and understanding of CCT were assessed using a patient-completed questionnaire developed by Joffe and colleagues [2]. In this population, the overall knowledge of CCT was found to be similar to previous published data [3]. While aspects of trial participation were poorly understood by objective assessment, satisfaction with the decision to participate (SWD) was very high. Objective knowledge was inversely correlated with the length of the patient information and consent form (PICF) [4]. Satisfaction was associated with greater subjective understanding of the trial and an improved quality of life.