Managing anxiety when talking about clinical research

I am looking forward to presenting later this month on the topic of communication and informed consent at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals Global Conference. I am going to be presenting on several different communication behaviors and theories, but I think one aspect of my presentation that may initially be surprising, though I hope will resonate, is the idea of Anxiety-Uncertainty Management. Anxiety-Uncertainty Management is actually an intercultural communication theory that examines communication between members of a given cultural group, and a "stranger" to that culture. Anxiety-Uncertainty Management contends that communication is effective when someone is able to effectively interpret the words and actions of the other person. But when a person is a stranger to the culture, they may not understand the words and actions of the other person, and thus may become anxious and unable to process the new information that they are receiving. A little bit of anxiety can be OK, and it may in fact be helpful. But when anxiety becomes overwhelming, communication suffers. It is pretty easy to see how this might play out in clinical research encounters. A potential research participant, who is new to the world of clinical research, may not be able to interpret the words and actions of the research coordinator, and because they do not understand what is going on, they may become so anxious, they are unable to process new information, such as an informed consent discussion. So what can research coordinators do? In order to create an environment where effective communication can take place, coordinators should help potential research participants manage their anxiety. They can do that by explaining who people are, what their jobs are, and what's going to happen. Take the mystery out of the clinical research experience. Because if they are able to manage their anxiety about the situation, then they will be able to have an effective conversation about participating in research.