Abstract
Background
A proportion of clinical trials terminate prematurely, due to logistical or conduct issues and emerging scientific data. Due to a paucity of literature and non-standardised reporting, the rate for all trials is unknown, and little is known about the number and experience of healthcare professionals managing this situation. This study aimed to identify how many UK healthcare professionals delivering clinical research have experienced premature trial termination, the challenges experienced and resources available for managing this situation.
Methods
Following ethics approval, a national e-survey of self-identifying healthcare professionals delivering clinical research was conducted (April–September 2022). Analysis included descriptive statistics and content analysis for categorization of challenges.
Results
A total of 65% (n = 89) of healthcare professionals had experienced ≥ 1 premature trial termination. Challenges included communicating with research participants and/or families (n = 20) and emotional distress for participants and/or families (n = 21). Forty-eight healthcare professionals identified resources; of those available for review, one resource provided guidance relating to research participants.
Conclusion
Premature clinical trial termination creates challenges for care delivery and impacts on participants and/or families. Healthcare professionals need preparation and training to ensure participants are appropriately supported if their trial prematurely terminates.
A proportion of clinical trials terminate prematurely, due to logistical or conduct issues and emerging scientific data. Due to a paucity of literature and non-standardised reporting, the rate for all trials is unknown, and little is known about the number and experience of healthcare professionals managing this situation. This study aimed to identify how many UK healthcare professionals delivering clinical research have experienced premature trial termination, the challenges experienced and resources available for managing this situation.
Methods
Following ethics approval, a national e-survey of self-identifying healthcare professionals delivering clinical research was conducted (April–September 2022). Analysis included descriptive statistics and content analysis for categorization of challenges.
Results
A total of 65% (n = 89) of healthcare professionals had experienced ≥ 1 premature trial termination. Challenges included communicating with research participants and/or families (n = 20) and emotional distress for participants and/or families (n = 21). Forty-eight healthcare professionals identified resources; of those available for review, one resource provided guidance relating to research participants.
Conclusion
Premature clinical trial termination creates challenges for care delivery and impacts on participants and/or families. Healthcare professionals need preparation and training to ensure participants are appropriately supported if their trial prematurely terminates.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 136 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Trials |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 22 Jan 2026 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 16 Feb 2026 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2026.
Data Availability Statement
The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Keywords
- Clinical research
- Healthcare professionals
- Premature termination
- Research delivery
- Trial termination
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Pharmacology (medical)
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