Clinical trials involving cats

Abstract

Clinical trials are frequently hindered by difficulty recruiting eligible participants, increasing the timeline and limiting generalizability of results. In veterinary medicine, where proxy enrollment is required, no studies have detailed what factors influence owner participation in studies involving cats. We aimed to investigate these factors through a survey of owners at first opinion practices. The survey was designed using feedback from a pilot study and input from clinical researchers. Owners were asked demographic questions and whether they would, would not, or were unsure about participating in a clinical trial with their cat. They then ranked the importance and influence of various factors on participation using a 5-point Likert-type scale, and incentives from most to least encouraging. A total of 413 surveys were distributed to cat owners at four hospitals, two feline-only and two multi-species; 88.6% were completed. Data for importance and influence factors as well as incentive rankings were analyzed overall, by hospital type, location and whether owners would consider participating. The most influential factors were trust in the organization, benefit to the cat and veterinarian recommendation. Importance and influence factors varied by willingness to participate. Ranked incentives were not significantly different across groups, with “Free Services” ranked highest. This study provides a first look at what factors influence participation in clinical trials with cats. Given the importance placed in the recommendation of veterinarians, continued work is needed to determine veterinarian related factors affecting clinical trial participation. The results provide guidance towards improved clinical trial design, promotion and education.

Attitudes of small animal practitioners toward participation in veterinary clinical trials

“…The variable that received the highest importance rating in the VIN survey was having a pet with a condition that could benefit from the trial, reported by 71% of respondents. This finding was similar to that in a study 14 of cat owners’ views on clinical trial participation, in which 73% of respondents gave this item the highest importance rating (5-point scale). Veterinarian endorsement of the trial was also rated as important, although only 33% of VIN survey respondents and 26% of VP survey respondents gave this the highest importance rating.…”

“…Veterinarian endorsement of the trial was also rated as important, although only 33% of VIN survey respondents and 26% of VP survey respondents gave this the highest importance rating. This finding was likely an underestimation, given that physician recommendation has been cited as a critical feature of clinical trial participation in human medicine, 11 and in the study 14 of cat owners, 56% assigned the highest importance rating (5-point scale) to the item “My veterinarian recommended the trial.” Additional research would be useful to compare attitudes of pet owners (including dog owners) with attitudes of small animal practitioners to identify commonalities (and gaps) between importance ratings.…”

“…In a survey of cat owners, 14 several variables were identified to influence the likelihood of owners participating in a clinical trial with their cat, including trust in the organization performing the trial, whether the cat had a disease that would benefit from the trial, and the recommendation of their veterinarian to participate. A large proportion (80%) of cat owners said that recommendation from their veterinarian would be important (24%) or extremely important (56%) to their participation.…”

Cats, Cancer and Comparative Oncology

“…In the specific situation of clinical trials, a recent survey found that most cat owners were unsure about whether they would consider enrolling their cat in a hypothetical trial, though 71% of owners who had previously participated in a clinical trial would consider participating again. Important factors in owners’ decisions included the recommendation of their primary veterinarian, the number of visits, and the risk of discomfort to their cat [ 19 ]. Although there are barriers to clinical trials in cats, there are opportunities at every level to improve recruitment including education of the public about the importance of routine veterinary care and the existence of clinical trials, of primary care veterinarians about clinical trial opportunities and of both primary care and specialist veterinarians about ‘feline-friendly’ or low-stress handling techniques.…”

Efficacy of a Single Dose of Pregabalin on Signs of Anxiety in Cats During Transportation—A Pilot Study

“…A parallel design study with only one treatment period per cat would likely relieve this impediment. In general, a high number of trips has been reported to decrease owner willingness to participate in clinical studies ( 21 ).…”