GUIDE TO CLINICAL TRIAL PARTICIPATION
Not many people think about this, but did you know you have directly benefited from clinical research? It’s true. Anyone who has ever taken a medication or had to undergo a form of physical therapy can thank prior clinical trials.
WHAT ARE CLINICAL TRIALS?
Clinical trials are research studies performed on people that aim at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention. Researchers use them to find out if a new treatment, like a new drug, diet, or medical device (for example, a pacemaker), is safe and effective for people.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
Research studies play an incredibly important role in our society because they help determine if new treatments are safe and effective. Unfortunately, many don’t ever get off the ground, because it can be very difficult to reach the enrollment goal for a given clinical trial.
PHASES OF CLINICAL TRIALS
All clinical trials have guidelines about who can participate. Inclusion and exclusion criteria help produce reliable results. The factors that allow someone to participate in a clinical trial are called "inclusion criteria", and those that disallow someone from participating are called “exclusion criteria”.
BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN A CLINICAL TRIAL
Clinical Research offers access to cutting edge medical care and medications not available yet in the market. You don't need to pay for anything and no insurance is required. Aside from receiving free medical care and investigational products, you might also receive monetary compensation.