Introduction:
Equity in oncology clinical trial participation has been declared a priority. We have responded by assessing factors influencing oncology clinical trial participation in the Australian context.
Aims:
This scoping review aimed to identify and map the current literature describing factors that influence cancer clinical trial participation in Australia.
Methods:
A scoping review was conducted based on Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. On 20 June 2022, we searched the MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, SCOPUS databases and conducted a grey literature search in Google Scholar, Grey Literature Report and Web of Science Conference Proceedings. Two independent reviewers performed screening for title and abstract followed by full text using predefined inclusion criteria. Data was then extracted using a customized extraction tool. At each step, a pilot of 10% studies was conducted to assess inter-rater reliability. We collated and reported results following the Preferred Reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping review. Qualitative data underwent thematic analyses. Quantitative data was analysed descriptively.
Results:
649 studies were identified once duplicates were removed. 44 studies proceeded to full text review with 34 studies being included in the final analysis. Studies included surveys (n=16), expert commentary (n=5), randomized control trial (n=5) and mixed methods studies (n=4). Key qualitative themes identifying factors included ‘patient knowledge about clinical trials’, ‘sociodemographics’, ‘resources supporting clinical trials’ and ‘accessibility of clinical trials'.
Conclusion:
This scoping review provides new insights into the factors that can influence equitable cancer clinical trial participation in Australia. The current fragmented state of the literature presents an opportunity to build new knowledge which may better inform health policy, improve future clinical trial design, and deliver equitable cancer care for all.