Gong Siying, Zhang Luxi, Zhao Xinshu
Department of Digital Media, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou, China.
Department of Communication/Institute of Collaborative Research/Center for Research in Greater Bay Area, University of Macau, Macau, China.
Digit Health. 2025 Mar 25;11:20552076251328598. doi: 10.1177/20552076251328598. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.
The journey of any new treatment begins in the lab and through a clinical trial. Clinical trials have become an important means to promote public health causes. In digital age, e-health usage (EHU) might be a key factor to promote clinical trials. However, how consideration for clinical trial participation is impacted by EHU remains unclear.
Secondary analyses were conducted on data from the Health Information National Trends Survey 2020 (HINTS 5, Cycle 4). This study proposed and tested a serial mediation model linking EHU to consideration for clinical trial participation, mediated by patient-centered communication (PCC) and cancer-related self-efficacy (CS). Analysis was performed using a sample survey targeted at individuals with chronic disease and/or family cancer history, conducted in 2020 in the United States ( = 3292).
This study found that EHU exerted positive effects on clinical trial participation directly. Furthermore, their relationship can be mediated by PCC and CS. Only when PCC serves as the first mediator did CS exert the serial meditation effect. Annual household income significantly moderates the path from CS to consideration for clinical trial participation. For low-income groups, an increase in CS significantly expends their consideration for clinical trial participation.
EHU can improve PCC and CS. This can be considered as motivators for increasing participation to clinical trials. Based on the finding, information related clinical trials should be promoted through e-health channels and the information should gain better patients' understanding. Those findings throw out suggestions on building trust, addressing concerns and alleviating fears to clinical trial participation.
任何新治疗方法的研发都始于实验室并经过临床试验。临床试验已成为促进公共卫生事业的重要手段。在数字时代，电子健康使用（EHU）可能是促进临床试验的关键因素。然而，EHU如何影响对参与临床试验的考虑仍不清楚。
对2020年健康信息国家趋势调查（HINTS 5，第4轮）的数据进行二次分析。本研究提出并测试了一个串联中介模型，该模型将EHU与参与临床试验的考虑联系起来，以患者为中心的沟通（PCC）和癌症相关自我效能感（CS）为中介。分析使用了2020年在美国针对患有慢性病和/或有家族癌症病史的个体进行的抽样调查（n = 3292）。
本研究发现，EHU直接对临床试验参与产生积极影响。此外，它们之间的关系可由PCC和CS介导。只有当PCC作为第一个中介时，CS才发挥串联中介作用。家庭年收入显著调节从CS到参与临床试验考虑的路径。对于低收入群体，CS的增加显著扩大了他们对参与临床试验的考虑。
EHU可以改善PCC和CS。这可被视为增加临床试验参与度的激励因素。基于这一发现，应通过电子健康渠道推广与临床试验相关的信息，且这些信息应能更好地被患者理解。这些发现为建立对临床试验参与的信任、解决担忧和减轻恐惧提出了建议。
