The issues and some solutions. Maslin found that women were less satisfied with information provided during the course of the trial than they are about information provided at the outset. Women have expressed interest in knowing other women who are on the trial in order to share information about experiences. Some women from our workshop were concerned that an absence of information throughout the trial avoids the responsibility of providing them with information about any difficulties that the trial is experiencing that might cause them to question their own involvement.
Many women participating in trials are interested in knowing the final results.
However, there are indications that this information is not given routinely. For example, women who participated in a trial of complementary treatment for breast cancer first heard information about study outcomes through a television news broadcast. As the report suggested that these women had poorer outcomes than women receiving conventional treatment, this caused much distress for the women involved. Strategies include using newsletters, meetings and the media to ensure that participants are involved in the process. These would need to be developed with a strong consumer input.