Patients' perspectives on planned interventions tested in the Otago MASTER feasibility trial: an implementation-based process evaluation study

Background

Patients are key stakeholders of clinical research, and their perspectives are relevant for researchers when planning and conducting clinical trials. Numerous aspects of trial process can influence participants’ experiences. Their experiences within a trial can impact retention rates. Poor treatment adherence may bias treatment effect estimates. One way to improve recruitment and adherence is to design trials that are aligned with patients’ needs and preferences. This study reports a process evaluation of the Otago MASTER feasibility trial.

Objectives

Our aims were to investigate the patients’ perceptions of the trial interventions through individual interviews.

Methods

Twenty-five participants were recruited for the feasibility trial and were allocated to two groups: tailored or standardised exercise. Sixteen participants agreed to take part in individual semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and all interviews were analysed thematically using an iterative approach.

Results

Our key findings suggest participants: (1) took part in the study to access healthcare services and contribute to research; (2) valued interventions received; (3) reported certain barriers and facilitators to participate in the trial; and (4) highlighted areas for improvement when designing the full trial.

Conclusion

Participants volunteered to access healthcare and to contribute to research. Participants valued the personalised care, perceived that their engagement within the trial improved their self-management and self-efficacy behaviour, valued the time spent with clinicians, and the empathetic environment and education received. Facilitators and barriers will require careful consideration in the future as the barriers may impact reliability and validity of future trial results.