Patient retention gifts in clinical trials - undue inducement or justified motivational tools?
Burgess, L.J.; Sulzer, N.
South African Medical Journal 101(9): 640-641
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 21920155 Document Number: 651518
The use of retention gifts in clinical trials has been controversial, with some ethicists maintaining that such gifts represent undue inducement to the trial participants. A study was conducted at TREAD Research, a site-managed organisation based at Tygerberg Hospital, in which 302 participants completed a questionnaire that focused on their opinion with regard to such gifts. The results suggest that these gifts do not influence patients to participate in a clinical trial or influence them to remain on a trial should they wish to withdraw. However, they do act as a useful motivational tool and trial participants appreciate them.