NCT07061197

Effect of Communicating Structured Benefit and Harm Information in European Patient Leaflets on Individuals' Expectations About Medicines

Effect of Communicating Structured Benefit and Harm Information in European Patient Leaflets on Individuals' Expectations About New Medicines: a Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 2,100 (estimated)
• Sponsor: London School of Economics and Political Science · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This online randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether adding a key information section to patient information leaflets leads to more accurate expectations and improves participants' understanding. We will test the impact of including quantitative information on drug benefits in addition to qualitative statements, versus including qualitative statements only. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) a standard patient leaflet that contains no information on drug benefits, (2) a leaflet featuring a key information section that includes qualitative statements about drug benefits, or (3) a leaflet featuring a key information section that includes quantitative information about drug benefits in addition to qualitative statements.

Detailed description

Currently, European legislation requires that patient information leaflets accompanying all prescription medicines list the adverse effects of the medicine and provide guidance on its safe and appropriate use. In 2025, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) launched a public consultation on a proposal to include a new 'key information section' in the patient leaflets across Europe. A key information section is intended to help users quickly access non-promotional information about both the drug benefits and risks of a drug. This study aims to evaluate the effect of including information about drug benefits, either qualitatively or both qualitatively and quantitatively, on individuals' expectations of a new cancer drug, using the European patient leaflet. In this online randomized controlled trial, a nationally representative sample of adults from the United Kingdom will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 versions of a patient leaflet: (1) the standard patient information leaflet (control), (2) a leaflet with the EMA's proposed key information section containing qualitative statements, or (3) a leaflet with a key information section providing both qualitative and quantitative data on the drug's benefits and harms. The patient leaflet used in the study was for a cancer drug (tivozanib). The primary outcome is participants' expectations regarding the drug's benefits and harms. Secondary outcomes include participants' understanding of the information, participants perceived magnitude of the drug's benefits and harms, and their satisfaction with the leaflet content.

Conditions

• Cancer

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Patient leaflet with the EMA's proposed key information section including qualitative statements.	The standard patient leaflet supplemented with a key information section. This section included qualitative descriptions of the goal of treatment, the main benefits, contraindications, and the most serious side effects. The content was designed to reflect the EMA's proposed format for improving the patient information leaflet.
OTHER	Control (standard patient leaflet)	The standard patient information leaflet for a recently approved cancer drug, tivozanib (Fotivda), obtained electronically from the EMA website. The standard patient information does not contain structured benefit information.
OTHER	Patient leaflet with a key information section providing both qualitative and quantitative information on drug benefits and harms.	The standard patient leaflet, supplemented with a key information section including quantitative data on the drug's main benefits and side effects, presented in a summary table format. This section provided structured information about the indication and goal of treatment, how the drug was studied (the comparator treatment and number of patients enrolled in the clinical trial that supported the drug's approval), and data on the drug's benefits and side effects.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-08-01
• Primary completion: 2025-08-01
• Completion: 2025-08-01
• First posted: 2025-07-11
• Last updated: 2025-07-11