Abstract

BURGESS, L J  and  SULZER, N U. Patient retention gifts in clinical trials: undue inducement or justified motivational tools?. SAMJ, S. Afr. med. j. [online]. 2011, vol.101, n.9, pp.642-644. ISSN 2078-5135.

The use of retention gifts in clinical trials has been controversial, with some ethicists maintaining that such gifts represent undue inducement to the trial participants. A study was conducted at TREAD Research, a site-managed organisation based at Tygerberg Hospital, in which 302 participants completed a questionnaire that focused on their opinion with regard to such gifts. The results suggest that these gifts do not influence patients to participate in a clinical trial or influence them to remain on a trial should they wish to withdraw. However, they do act as a useful motivational tool and trial participants appreciate them.

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