Survey of Clinical Trials in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

A survey regarding understanding the images and demands of clinical trials was carried out on 177 ambulatory patients with rheumatoid arthritis at Aichi Medical University Hospital in April 1999. 72.3% of the study patients did not have a sufficient understanding of the clinical trials, while 27.7% of the patients did have a sufficient understanding. A total of 8.5%, of the patients had previous experience as trial subjects in clinical trials while 19.2% of the patients did not. In addition, 11.3% of the patients would take part of their own free will while 7.9% of the patients would refuse to take part in the trial. Many patients have an image that clinical trials are similar to experiments on humans. However, none of the patients with experience as subjects regretted their previous involvement in such trials. The reasons are clear why patients do not want to participate in clinical trials, since many people do not have a sufficient understanding of the effects of investigational drugs, are worried about the side effects of such drugs, and also have a general feeling of anxiety about such trials. These concerns have created a new role for hospital pharmacists as a CRC (Clinical Research Coordinator) to assist in the clinical trial process through medication counseling.