Information seeking related to clinical trial enrollment

To understand what motivates people to attend to information about clinical trial enrollment, this study applies the risk information seeking and processing model (RISP) to explore potential differences in multichannel information seeking between (a) the general population and (b) cancer patients and their caregivers. The unique context of clinical trial enrollment grants this research an opportunity to study the RISP model in relation to a risk issue with varying relevance to the two samples as well as to investigate the role of emotion on information seeking. Key results suggested that risk perception and negative emotions had opposite effects on information seeking across the two samples; however, optimistic feelings had the most consistent, positive effects on seeking from all three types of information sources: interpersonal, traditional media, and online. These findings suggest important theoretical and practical implications in relation to promoting information seeking related to clinical trial enrollment among the general population as well as among specific patient groups.