Barriers to Participation in Clinical Trials: The Problem of Information.

This study considers why selected information behaviors such as health information seeking, understanding communicated risks, and therapeutic misconceptions contribute to the decision not to participate in a clinical trial despite the possible benefit to the subject. Topics also presented include background regarding the nature of clinical trials in the United States, ethical and regulatory constraints facing researchers, and a consideration of why the history of medical experimentation on the African-American community may be a reason why members of this group decline participation in clinical trials.