Abstract
Background: The Research Decision Making Model guided this completed research on decision making for cancer clinical trial participation. The Research Decision Model was based on Bowling and Ebrahim’s Model for Treatment Decision Making and modified based on a systematic review of the literature. One hundred ninety seven patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers, pancreas and colorectal were eligible and completed participation in this descriptive, cross-sectional designed research. Mailed surveys and medical record review methods were used to identify disease context and sociodemographic factors, patient preferences for research decision control, hope, quality of life, and trust that influence the decision to participate or not to participate in a cancer clinical trial, and the satisfaction with the decision made. The self-reported survey responses and medical records review provided the data for descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses. The three variables that predicted cancer clinical trial participation were: a cancer stage of less than 4; more hope as measured by the Herth Hope Index; and more trust in the health care system as measured by the Health Care System Distrust Scale. Furthermore, the preferred decision making style for cancer clinical trial participation is shared or collaborative decision making. This is a previously undiscovered factor for cancer clinical trial participation decision making, and one that provides unique opportunities for oncology advanced practitioners.
