“I don’t I think these people of years and years of experience and training, that they’re going to put themselves or me in any harm for the purposes of a trial unless they know it’s perfectly safe.” (Participant 1, male, medical arm)
For the majority of participants, travel was not seen as a concern for COVID safety since most travelled in their own car. Among those who used public transport, there was relatively little anxiety about COVID risks with most participants feeling that they had their own strategies for travelling.

Facilitating restart of the MACRO trial

To increase patient confidence to take part in the MACRO trial, participants wanted reassurance that COVID precautions were being taken to minimise risk. Entrances to the hospital were of particular concern, and many participants questioned the possibility of having research appointments in locations where main hospital entrances or busy public areas could be avoided.