Joining clinical trials is important for finding new medicines and treatments, but it’s often tough to find enough volunteers. A new study looked at the best ways researchers can approach clinical trials on social media, especially using short videos, to encourage more people to sign up.
Only about 5 percent of Americans have ever been in a clinical trial, and a smaller number include Black Americans. Researchers are increasingly turning to social media, like TikTok, to share information about trials because it’s easy to use, accessible, and relatively cheap. The goal of this study was to figure out what kind of messages work best in these videos to get people interested.
The study, published in Health Communication and led by Professor Ciera Kirkpatrick at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, involved creating 18 different short videos about clinical trials and showing them to over 600 people online.
One of the most important findings of the study was about “autonomy support.” This means making sure people feel like they have a choice and that their decision is respected, no matter what they decide. Videos that used this approach, for example, by saying “I respect whatever decision you make!”, were much more effective. These kinds of messages helped reduce any negative feelings people had about being pressured. They also made people think the message was more believable, improved their attitudes about clinical trials, and made them more likely to “like” and share the videos, and even more likely to want to join a trial themselves.
“I think a lot of people think about clinical trials as something that we should be doing in order for science to advance, but communicating about it in a way that it’s still optional is key here,” Kirkpatrick said in a news release. “Messages that respect the viewers’ autonomy and this feeling of being able to make a choice themselves is better than trying to pressure them into doing something just because it’s something we need people to do.”
The study also looked at whether including a personal story from someone who had already been in a clinical trial, called an “exemplar,” made a difference. They found that when you combine a message that respects your choice with a personal story, it’s super powerful. People felt the least negative emotion and had the best attitudes toward joining clinical trials when they saw videos that did both.
“When we are hearing the story of another participant, it’s more interesting, it’s more engaging and it increases our attention to the overall message itself,” Kirkpatrick added in the release. “For the messages that just use generic statistical information, it’s not as interesting.
These findings are especially important for getting more Black patients to join clinical trials. For a long time, there has been a lot of mistrust in the medical system within Black communities, partly because of unfair practices in the past. This makes people understandably hesitant to participate in new research.
When videos and doctors use an “autonomy-supportive” approach—truly respecting a person’s decision—it can help build trust. It shows that the goal isn’t to pressure anyone, but to provide information so patients can make the best choice for themselves. This is a big step in overcoming that historical mistrust.
Also, seeing and hearing from Black individuals who have been part of clinical trials can be incredibly powerful. When people from the same community share their positive experiences, it helps others see themselves in the process and feel more comfortable. It can clear up misunderstandings and show the real-life benefits of participating in a way that statistics can’t.
By using these smart communication strategies, researchers can do a much better job of reaching and including Black patients in clinical trials. This isn’t just about good communication; it’s about making sure medical research includes everyone, so that new treatments can help all communities equally. It’s an easy change for health professionals on social media, but it can make a huge difference in how people view clinical trials and their willingness to participate.
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