Participating in an AD Trial: Weighing What Matters Most to Patients and Parents

NEA Study highlight the differences between what adults with AD value for themselves in clinical trial participation versus what parents find important for their children with this skin condition.

Key differences exist between what adults with eczema value for themselves in clinical trial participation versus what parents find important for their kids with this chronic skin disease, according to new research from the National Eczema Association.

This new research is published in the June 2023 issue of Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications.

A 46-question survey was completed by 604 participants. Participants included adults with eczema and caregivers of children with eczema. The survey asked participants to rate the importance of various factors when considering clinical trial participation, including:

• The way a therapy is given (cream, pill, needle)
• Side effect profile of the test drug
• Having in-depth details on the purpose of the clinical trial and test drug
• Trust in the clinical trial doctor(s)/site
• Need for a washout period
• Possibility of receiving a placebo 
• Potential financial impacts, among others

"When considering clinical trial participation for their kids, caregivers placed more importance on factors that had to do with perceived safety or risk for their child," says Jessica K. Johnson, co-author of the study and Associate Director of Community Research at NEA, in a news release.

Overall, the factor with the highest importance rating for caregivers was "having in-depth details on the purpose of the clinical trial and test drug," whereas the most important rating for adult eczema patients was "having trust in the clinical trial doctor(s)/site."

Adult patients were able to care more about altruistic reasons to join a clinical trial, like helping the greater good, likely, since they were making the decision for themselves.