Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42277890›Full record

ArticleTrials2026

Healthcare professionals' perspectives on the barriers and enablers of cancer clinical trial participation among Arabic-speaking cancer patients in Australia: a qualitative study.

Rayan Saleh Moussa, Layla M Edwards, Michael Camit, Christine Jeyachandran, Tim Luckett, Ben Smith, Bernadette Brady, Slavica Kochovska, Charbel Bejjani, Maria Gonzalez and 24 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Trials, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

34 authors.

Rayan Saleh Moussa *Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Rayan.SalehMoussa@uts.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0393-2666
Layla M Edwards *Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9951-237X
Michael CamitSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Health Literacy-Multicultural Services, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Christine JeyachandranSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Health Literacy-Multicultural Services, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Tim LuckettImproving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Ben SmithThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, and Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Bernadette BradySouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Slavica KochovskaImproving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Charbel BejjaniSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Maria GonzalezImplementation to Impact, School of Public Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Nadine El-KabboutImproving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Arwa AbousamraSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Amin GadallaSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Health Literacy-Multicultural Services, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Iman ZakharySouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Health Literacy-Multicultural Services, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Azhar MattiSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Health Literacy-Multicultural Services, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Randa KattanArab Council Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Verena WuUniversity of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Wei ChuaSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Karen WongSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Shalini SubramaniamSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Gemma McErleanCentre for Research in Nursing and Health, St George Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Balwinder SidhuSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Matthew JenningsSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Sandra AverySouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Deme KarikiosNepean Cancer and Wellness Centre, Nepean Hospital, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Kingswood, NSW, Australia.
Frances BoyleSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Wafa TradSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Weng NgSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Stephen Della-FiorentinaSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Martin HongSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Udit NindraIllawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Sally FieldingImproving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Meera AgarImproving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Abhijit PalSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCulturally and ethnically diverse communities are underrepresented in cancer clinical trials, further contributing to existing health inequities. Research often overlooks how upstream social determinants of health (SDOH) might contribute to these inequities, instead focusing on individual-level barriers. Arabic is the third most spoken language in Australia and is the focus of this study. This study aims to explore how upstream SDOH influence clinical trial participation among Arabic-speaking cancer patients (ASCPs), as perceived by healthcare professionals (HCPs).

methodsA qualitative study comprising virtual focus groups with HCPs with experience recruiting ASCPs into clinical trials. Participants were recruited via professional networks and social media using snowball sampling. The Sociocultural Framework for Health Service Disparities was used to identify perceived barriers and enablers to cancer clinical trial participation relating to structural, healthcare provider, and environmental factors. Focus groups were analysed using the Best Fit approach by two independent coders.

resultsFourteen participants were recruited (ten medical specialists, two nurses, one clinical trial coordinator and one researcher). Structural and healthcare provider barriers centred on English-language proficiency. Structural barriers included limited consultation time, restrictive trial eligibility criteria, lack of translated study materials, and a lack of workforce diversity. Language discourse reduced HCPs' confidence in patient understanding of trial information and consequently the informed consent procedure. By advocating for translated materials, booking longer consults, and engaging interpreters, HCPs became enablers to trial participation. Family support networks were identified as environmental enablers by facilitating trial-related conversations; however, they also acted as barriers by compromising patient autonomy in decision-making. Perceived scepticism and distress emerged as environmental barriers that shaped attitudes toward cancer diagnosis and trial participation.

conclusionFindings highlight how upstream SDOH can create barriers to cancer clinical trial access, thereby reducing opportunities for participation among ASCPs in Australia. Although the barriers were described in terms of language, they may reflect a broader lack of cultural competency. Further research into strategies integrating enablers such as time, workforce diversity, interpreter engagement and translated resources is essential to inform inclusive healthcare systems and research design, with potential implications beyond the Arabic-speaking community.

trial registrationEthical approval for this study was granted by the University of Technology Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (ETH21-6506, 14/01/2022).

Indexed as

ArabsAttitude of Health PersonnelClinical Trials as TopicCommunication BarriersHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeNeoplasmsPatient SelectionAdultAustraliaFemaleFocus GroupsHealthcare DisparitiesHumansLanguageMaleMedical InterpretingArabic-speaking/communitiesCancer/oncologyClinical trialsCulturally and ethnically diverse communities/minoritised communitiesDiversity and inclusionHealth equityInclusive researchParticipation

Identifiers

PMID42277890
PMCPMC13479706

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.