Summary
Healthy volunteers who participated in an experiment were asked to complete a questionnaire about their experiences. Special attention was paid to their motives and the informed consent procedure.
The motives of healthy volunteers for participating in a study differed according to age. Young volunteers mostly participated because of the financial compensation, while older volunteers mainly participated to get a medical check-up, which was part of the selection procedure, or because of the benefit that other people might obtain from the results of the experiment.
In most experiments the volunteers were content with the information given about the experiment, which was provided orally and in a hand-out. The information procedure was crucial for the experiment, because optimum information was of the utmost importance in keeping the volunteers motivated during the experiment. Another conclusion was that the researcher should not be afraid that too much information was given. Adequate information was also important in recruiting new volunteers, because they mostly become interested because of information obtained from their predecessors.
A personal approach towards the volunteers during the experiment was appreciated by them and was an important help in keeping the volunteers motivated during the experiment.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bigorra J, Baños JE (1990) Weight of financial reward in the decision by medical students and experienced healthy volunteers to participate in clinical trials. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 38: 443–446
Declaration of Helsinki (1989) Revised in Helsinki by the 18th World Medical Assembly, 1964; revised in Tokyo by the 29th World Medical Assembly, 1975; revised in Venice by the 35th World Medical Assembly, 1983; revised in Hong Kong by the 41st World Medical Assembly, 1989
Dickens BM (1979) Criteria of Adequately Informed Consent. In: Howard-Jones N, Bankowski Z (eds) Medical Experimentation and the Protection of Human Right. CIOMS, Geneva
Hassar M, Pocelinko R, Weintraub M, Nelson D, Thomas G, Lasagna L (1977) Free-living volunteer's motivations and attitudes toward pharmacologic studies in man. Clin Pharmacol Ther 21: 515–519
Royal College of Physicians (1986) Research on Healthy Volunteers. J Roy Coll Physcns London 20/4: 243–257
Turnbull WH, Leeds AR, Edwards GD (1990) Effect of mycoprotein on blood lipids. Am J Clin Nutr 52: 646–650
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
van Gelderen, C.E.M., Savelkoul, T.J.F., van Dokkum, W. et al. Motives and perception of healthy volunteers who participate in experiments. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 45, 15–19 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315344
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315344