Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic put clinical research in the media spotlight globally. This article proposes a first measure of familiarity with and attitude toward clinical research in France. Drawing from the “Health Literacy Survey 2019” (HLS19) conducted online between 27 May and 5 June 2020 on a sample of the French adult population (N = 1003), we show that a significant proportion of the French population claimed some familiarity with clinical trials (64.8%) and had positive attitudes (72%) toward them. One of the important findings of this study is that positive attitudes toward clinical research exist side by side with a strong distancing from the pharmaceutical industry. While respondents acknowledged that the pharmaceutical industry plays an important role in clinical research (68.3%), only one-quarter indicated that they trust the industry (25.7%). Positive attitudes toward clinical trials were associated with familiarity with clinical trials (Odds Ratio, OR 2.97 [1.90–4.63]), financial difficulties (OR 0.63 [0.46–0.85]), as well as mistrust of doctors (0.48 [0.27–0.85]) and of scientists (OR 0.62 [0.38–0.99]). Although the French media provided a great deal of information on how clinical research works during the first months of the pandemic, there remains profound mistrust of the pharmaceutical industry in France. This suspicion can undermine crisis management, especially in the areas of vaccine development and preparation for future pandemics.

Highlights

  • A recent international survey focused on public awareness and knowledge of clinical trials conducted in 68 countries: this study found positive attitudes toward clinical research and a general willingness to participate in clinical trials, with a significant age effect [24,25]

  • While the fight against cancer and other epidemics such as HIV have given some public visibility to clinical research, the sheer scale of the COVID-19 pandemic has put this issue in the media spotlight at a global scale

  • The promise of medical innovation plays a crucial role in the management of epidemics

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Summary

Introduction

New trials and scientific publications received intense media coverage and fierce debates arose on such issues as hydroxychloroquine efficacy [2]. This put a magnifying glass on the organisation of medical research, with harsh criticisms leveled against the influence of the pharmaceutical industry and the medical elite over health policy [3]. This polemical situation had a direct impact on public participation in

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