A Survey on Motivation and Satisfaction of Subjects in Acupuncture & Moxibustion Clinical Trial※

Abstract

Objectives : This study was aimed to find the motivation and satisfaction of subjects who participated in acupuncture and moxibustion clinical trials and to suggest ways to improve clinical trial management. Methods : We conducted a survey and collected the data of 233 subjects of acupuncture and moxibustion clinical trials from 6 university hospitals. Results : For all 233 subjects, the mean of the total satisfaction score was 4.07 (perfect score 5.0), and the score was particularly high in aspects of the investigator and clinical research coordinator, but low in the site and sponsor aspects. There were no differences in the satisfaction degree with general characteristics. The satisfaction degree of the acupuncture and moxibustion clinical trials was strong positive correlated with participation benefits(r=0.595) and easy contact with the research team (r=0.500). Conclusions : Most subjects showed positive perception and interest in the clinical trials. Future studies should investigate how personal factors influence the satisfaction of subjects, should identify a specific classification criterion, and create a standardized protocol for the clinical trials.