LAUSR

Abstract Introduction Growing interest in the role of Korean medicine for cancer survivors has prompted the need for clinical trials to guide its rationale use. The study aimed to identify survivors’ willingness to participate (WTP) in a hypothetical clinical trial of Korean medicine and explore associated factors. Methods Patients were approached to take part in a cross sectional study. Inclusion criteria were; having undergone colorectal cancer surgery (at least 6 months previously) and attending the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to investigate factors associated with WTP using a forward selection method. Results Of 458 patients screened, 300 participated in the survey. Thirty-two percent of participants expressed WTP in a given trial. Multivariate logistic regression analysis (n = 300) demonstrated that WTP was significantly associated with age of 55–64 years (adjusted OR: 3.33; 95 % CI: 1.34–8.26) and 65–74 years (2.66, 1.07–6.61), past experience of participation in a trial of Korean medicine (5.65, 1.44–22.14), perceived understanding about clinical trials (3.10, 1.20–7.96), altruism to benefit future cancer patients (2.40, 1.33–4.32) and expectation for an improved health condition by trial participation (2.93, 1.61–5.35). Conclusions One-third (32 %) of colorectal cancer survivors showed WTP in a future clinical trial of Korean medicine. Further studies regarding WTP should be conducted in various contexts to inform the design of Korean medicine clinical trials.