Objective: To explore the research trends and hot spots in this field based on international patient-centered clinical trials in recent 20 years. Methods: Web of Science core database was retrieved for relevant articles from 2003 to 2023 and analyzed by Citespace 6.3.R1 and Excel 2021 software. Results: A total of 2107 English articles were included, of which 78 were issued by Chinese authors, which is currently in a rapid growth phase; the United States has the most articles (1370 articles); the keywords with high frequency in the articles were quality of life (394 times) and outcome (151 times); the current research focuses were mainly satisfaction, pain, elderly patients, etc., and were often combined with digital health technology. Conclusion: Patient-centered clinical trials have great research potential in the future. Drawing on international research results and increasingly improved patient-centered regulatory guidelines, China has broad development prospects.