We conducted a quantitative study with our partners at Continuum Clinical last week that shows 68% of US adults diagnosed with at least one medical condition are more likely to consider participating in a clinical trial now than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.  In addition, more than half of the respondents indicate that their awareness of clinical trials has increased as a result of news coverage of the novel coronavirus.

This study was fielded April 22^nd-April 23^rd as the growth rate for new cases of COVID-19 in the US worked its way to a record high (36,138 additional cases on April 24^th).  Results indicate that clinical research interest- both for COVID19-related trials and trials for other health conditions- has dramatically increased in recent weeks.  Interest in clinical trial participation overall increased most among men and older millennials, with men and African Americans indicating the largest jump in awareness of medical research.

Online search behavior was also analyzed by Continuum Clinical’s Integrated Media team, in addition to the quantitative survey.  The results confirmed that the number of Americans actively searching for “clinical trials” more than doubled in the past 4 months.  Their analysis also found that patient engagement has increased by an average of 80% across the actively recruiting clinical trial programs it supports.

Of those respondents who reported increased interest in clinical trials, nearly all pointed to a greater sense of altruism as the reason for their increased motivation to participate in medical research. And when asked about their interest in participating in research related to the current pandemic, most Americans (60%) expressed interest in participating in a COVID-19 trial.

As we progress through another month of this crisis, research such as this is critical in our understanding of where Americans stand against the coronavirus.  And after reviewing the results of this study, it speaks to a common spirit that may transcend the deep political divisions of the moment.   While finding a vaccine and antiviral therapies can take months, this data supports the claim that most Americans are willing to engage in clinical trials to help bring an end to the virus.

Thank you to Continuum Clinical for allowing us to work on this study with you and for helping us remain hopeful in these difficult times.

Do you have a study you would like to run to understand shifts in behavior during this pandemic?  With accurate research important now more than ever, we welcome the opportunity to partner with you and will offer discounted rates for all re-field projects.