Utilization of Teleconsent for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Clinical Trials, a Report from the Children’s Oncology Group

Purpose: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs, ages 15–39 years) are underrepresented in oncology clinical trials. Reasons for this include accessibility of the trial and whether the trial is presented to AYAs. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic not only amplified these enrollment challenges but also presented opportunities for improving the enrollment process through virtual methods such as electronic informed consent and teleconsent. While AYAs are well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities, the extent to which institutions utilize remote enrollment processes is unclear. The goal of this study was to identify the utilization of and barriers to using teleconsent for AYA oncology clinical trials. Methods: The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) AYA Responsible Investigator (RI) Network Teleconsent Working Group sought to understand teleconsent utilization both before and during the pandemic. The working group developed an online survey distributed via email to COG AYA RI Network members (n = 197). Results: The survey received 49 responses (25%) from 40 different institutions. Before the pandemic, 13% of respondents reported that their institution allowed study enrollment via teleconsent. After the pandemic, 23% reported using teleconsent for clinical trial enrollment and 38% reported changes in institutional Review Board policies and procedures allowing teleconsent. Respondents reported that the greatest benefit of teleconsent was patient convenience and the greatest barrier was institutional restrictions on teleconsent utilization. Respondents reported that sharing institutional guidelines would be the most helpful intervention to improve teleconsent adoption. Conclusion: Teleconsent is a promising but underutilized approach. Institutions should work together to address common challenges to accessibility and acceptance of clinical trials by AYA cancer patients.