Table 4 Overarching themes by sub-themes and participants group
Overarching themes | Sub-themes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Cancer patients | Clinicians | Study coordinators | |
Recruitment and enrolment of patients in RRCTs | Facilitators • Altruism • Personal gain • Trust in clinicians | Facilitators • Benefits of RRCT study design compared to RCT “simple and straightforward” • Equipoise | Facilitators • Broad patient eligibility criteria |
Barriers • Limited understanding of RRCT study concept | Barriers • Considering patients’ best interest • Low eligible patient volume • Competing commercially sponsored trials • Specific research question/study design • Perceptions of RRCT as “less exciting” than commercially sponsored RCT | Barriers • Low eligible patient volume • Competing commercially sponsored trials | |
Experiences of participating in RRCTs | • Minimal impact on patients (planning/organisation) • Pleased with treatment and care received | • Minimal impact on clinical processes (identifying and recruiting patients, implementation and monitoring) | • “Less work” than RCTs as minimal monitoring, fewer specimens and data collection, and limited coordination required between units and departments |
Recommendations for the implementation of future RRCTs | Patients • Education • Patients sharing their trial experiences with other eligible patients | Clinicians • Education and increasing awareness of RRCTs • Identifying “tractability”/“selling point” of RRCT Hospitals • Involving regional/rural and private hospitals to increase the patient pool and give opportunity to participate in trials • Financial incentives for hospitals • Building capacity and support at the sites (e.g. data entry support for clinicians) • Regular engagement and updates from RRCT principal investigator to sites | Clinicians • Champion clinician at each hospital site Hospitals • Building capacity and support at the sites (e.g. study coordinators to flag eligible patients prior to consultation) • Coordination and support across units and departments (e.g. day oncology department and pharmacy) • Regular engagement and updates from RRCT principal investigator to sites |