QLife Survey of 5,000 People Interested in Clinical Trials Finds Nearly Half Want Information on Side Effects and Risks Most

QLife Inc. conducted an awareness survey among members of its QLife Clinical Trial Information service to understand perceptions of clinical trials, concerns when considering participation, and the type of information communication people expect. The survey received responses from 5,000 people. As Japan moves to improve access to clinical trial information following a review of rules on information provision related to clinical trials in March 2026, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly expected to provide information that addresses the concerns and questions of patients and the general public while ensuring accuracy and neutrality. The survey targeted people who regularly encounter clinical trial information and have relatively high interest in clinical trials. Results showed that positive perceptions, such as being able to contribute to medical progress, are spreading. At the same time, when people actually consider participation, side effects and risks, safety, and reliable information from their primary physician or medical institution become key decision factors. Among the types of clinical trial information respondents most wanted to know, side effects and risks ranked highest at 48.7%. This suggests that encouraging clinical trial participation requires more than simply delivering recruitment information. Information must be designed to resolve concerns and help patients and the general public consider participation with sufficient understanding. Selected survey findings are as follows. First, the image of clinical trials as a form of social contribution has taken root across all generations, with the tendency stronger among older respondents. However, younger people were more likely to feel that participating would make them a test subject. This highlights the need to explain not only the social value of clinical trials, but also why safety is considered, how trials are managed, and how participants are protected. Second, internet search is the mainstream starting point for finding clinical trial information. When looking for clinical trial information related to their own or family members’ diseases, 55.9% of respondents selected internet search as their first action. However, the most trusted sources were primary physicians at 54.2% and medical institution websites at 39.6%. This indicates that while search behavior begins digitally, trust is ultimately shaped heavily by doctors and medical institutions. Clinical trial recruitment therefore requires information that is easy to find through search, as well as explanatory pathways linked to medical institutions and materials that make it easier for patients to consult their doctors. Third, the information people most want is about side effects and risks. Even among those interested in clinical trials, participation decisions depend not only on expected benefits, but also on understanding possible disadvantages and risks. The findings show the importance of presenting safety information on recruitment pages in a clear way that does not create excessive expectations. Fourth, raising awareness of clinical trials requires a combination of medical media, mass media, social media, and medical institutions. The most frequently cited channels expected to spread clinical trial information were online news articles and medical media, followed by mass media such as TV commercials and programs. Younger generations showed relatively higher expectations for social media. At the same time, the findings also suggest that information from medical institutions is important for credibility. QLife concluded that clinical trial recruitment needs not only a sufficient volume of information, but information design that enables people to consider participation with understanding and confidence. Success depends not only on whether information reaches the target audience, but also on whether it is perceived as trustworthy, relevant, and capable of reducing concerns. Going forward, QLife will strengthen three initiatives: promoting better understanding of clinical trials among patients and the general public; building highly reliable information pathways in collaboration with medical institutions; and feeding patient voices back to pharmaceutical companies while supporting clinical trial recruitment. QLife will continue collecting and analyzing the views of people interested in clinical trials to help pharmaceutical companies provide patient-centered recruitment and information. Survey overview: The purpose was to understand the awareness and challenges of people interested in clinical trials and apply the findings to awareness activities that drive action. The target group was approximately 71,000 registrants of the QLife Clinical Trial Information official LINE account. The survey was conducted online from November 9 to November 15, 2025, and received 5,000 valid responses.