Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background: Clinical trial (CT) participation is paramount for the advancement of medical knowledge and clinical practice. However, there are significant gaps in the literature surrounding effective CT engagement, particularly for increasing CT awareness and knowledge. We seek to bridge these gaps by assessing the role internet use plays in improving access to health information, knowledge of, and participation in CTs.
Objective: To examine the association between internet use and CT knowledge among US adults and the modalities adults seek to access the internet.
Methods: We used HINTS 5, Cycle 4, a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of American adults aged ≥18 years [range: 18–104 years] to conduct this analysis. Participants self-reported the use of internet and knowledge of CTs (none or little vs. higher knowledge). Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate relative odds of higher knowledge of CTs (outcome) by internet use (exposure) in models adjusting for demographic, health-related, and socioeconomic factors. The analysis was stratified by different modalities of internet use to explore variations in knowledge acquisition. Analyses applied sample weights.
Results: Among a weighted sample of 249,896,898 participants (mean [SD] age 47 [20.2] years, 50% women), 86% used the internet, and 10% reported higher CT knowledge. As shown in the figure, there were significantly greater odds of CT knowledge among adults using the internet in partially adjusted models. In fully adjusted models, this was no longer significant (OR 1.76, 95% CI 0.83-3.74). In analyses stratified by internet modalities, both mobile phone and home-based internet use were positively associated with higher knowledge about CT (OR=4.77, 95% CI=1.26-18.0).
Conclusions: Mobile phone and home-based internet use show significant association with higher knowledge of CTs among adults. This underscores the importance of employing online platforms to engage potential participants. Investing in internet-based recruitment strategies could significantly augment the efficacy of CT recruitment efforts. Furthermore, a wider net should be cast for CT recruitment to ensure non-users of the internet get equitable access to information.