What motivates SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trial participants? A pre- and post-participation survey study

Scientific advancement, including the testing and licensing of new drugs, relies heavily on clinical trials with healthy individuals. The motivations of clinical trial participants have been discussed intensively, as some worry that financial compensation may distract from the intrinsic risk of clinical research. Herein, we investigated the motivations and decisional factors influencing SARS-CoV-2 clinical trial participants. Moreover, since most surveys are administered after clinical trial participation, we were interested in whether the results were tainted by recall bias.

This was a cross-sectional observational study. Participants were administered a survey on two occasions, once before and once after participation in a clinical trial. The primary outcomes were the motivations and decisional factors of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trial participants and the difference between the surveys collected before and after clinical trial participation.

The survey response rate was 149/200 (75%). SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trial participants were mostly motivated by the desire to contribute to science and help others. Answers collected before and after the trial were not statistically different, indicating the absence of recall bias.

The decision-making process of clinical trial participants is complex and multi-faceted. Previous studies have shown that clinical trial participants have mixed motivations but never to the extent reported in the current survey. Here, we present a theoretical framework that attempts to explain how different motivational factors may contribute to decision forming.