Social influence and accrual to cancer clinical trials

Social influence is a social skill that allows individuals to convince others that certain positions are better than others and fosters acceptance that taking action on the issue under discussion is desired. This study examined the role of heuristics as a social influence strategy in patient accrual to cancer clinical trials. Data for this study were taken from an archive of oncologist-patient/companion interactions at a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic at a Midwestern comprehensive cancer center. Six interactions were coded for trust, authority and liking. Results found the more social influence statements the physician employed in general, and liking and authority specifically, the more likely the patient was to enroll into a clinical trail. The use of social influence messages showed a positive trend in patient self-reported trust and confidence in the physician. The sequencing of social influence messages in these data found relationships between the sequence of delivery of messages and patient accrual to clinical trials.