Pediatric Trials Network: Stakeholder views on thanking families and providing study findings on pragmatic pediatric clinical research

We conducted formative research using in-depth interviews to identify preferences for and anticipated responses to receiving thank you notes and lay summaries of aggregate results among caregivers and adolescent participants of pragmatic pediatric studies conducted by the National Institute of Health-sponsored Pediatric Trials Network. We analyzed the data using qualitative thematic analysis. Nearly all participants said receiving a thank you note would make them feel valued, appreciated, and proud because they contributed to science. Similarly, nearly all participants said that receiving a lay summary of research results would make them aware of their role in improving the lives of children, feel like they are an active partner in research, and believe that researchers want to keep them informed. Participants also said that receiving a thank you note or lay summary may motivate them to participate in future research. Providing thank you notes as part of study participation should become a standard clinical trial practice, similar to the practice of providing lay summaries.