한국과 미국 임상시험 온라인 정보의 임상시험 대상자 중심 사용성 평가: 예비연구

A Pilot Study Assessing the Usability of Publicly Available Clinical Trial Online Information for Participants in Korea and the United States

Effective communication of clinical trial recruitment information is essential to ensure that potential participants can easily find, understand, and evaluate opportunities to join ongoing studies. This study aimed to assess and compare how such information is presented online in the United States and South Korea, focusing on three key criteria: accessibility, comprehensibility, and relevance from a patient-centered perspective. Using the Google Custom Search API, we identified 200 webpages (100 per country) related to lung and breast cancer clinical trials. Each page was evaluated for accessibility (presence of retrievable recruitment information), and if accessible, for comprehensibility (clarity of language and use of plain terms) and relevance (inclusion of practical information on eligibility and participation). Among U.S. webpages, 36.0% provided accessible recruitment information, compared to only 10.0% in Korea (p<0.001). While U.S. pages also showed higher comprehensibility and relevance scores, these differences were not statistically significant. Greater accessibility in the U.S. may reflect broader stakeholder engagement and multi-channel dissemination. Higher comprehensibility likely stems from patient-centered, plain-language communication. In contrast, Korean sites showed limited patient-centered communication, and public platforms exhibited low search visibility. These findings highlight significant disparities in how clinical trial recruitment information is disseminated across countries. Enhancing accessibility, expanding the use of plain language, and standardizing digital communication practices are essential steps toward improving public engagement and transparency in clinical research.