What is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a research study to answer specific questions about new therapies or new ways of using known treatments. Clinical trials are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective. Carefully conducted clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatments that work

What happens during a clinical trial?

The clinical trial process depends on the kind of study you participate in. The team will include doctors and nurses as well as other health care professionals. They will check your health at the beginning of the study, give you specific instructions for participating in the trial, monitor you carefully during the trial, and stay in touch with you after the study

Who can participate?

All clinical trials have guidelines about who can get into the program. Guidelines are based on such factors as age, type of disease, medical history, and current medical condition. Before you join a clinical trial, you must qualify for the study. Some research studies seek volunteers with illnesses or conditions to be studied in the clinical trial, while others need healthy volunteers.

What are the benefits of enrolling in a clinical trial?

Some of the benefits in participating in a clinical trial are:

• Take an active role in your own health care.
• Gain access to new treatments that are not available to the public.
• Obtain expert medical care at leading health care facilities during the trial.
• Help others by contributing to medical research.
• If you qualify you may receive compensation for participating

What are the risks associated with enrolling in a clinical trial?

• There may be side effects or adverse reactions to medications or treatments.
• The treatment may not be effective for you.
• The protocol may require a lot of your time for trips to the study site, treatments, hospital stays, or complex dosage requirements

Will I be paid for participating in a Clinical Trial?

Some clinical trials will pay you for joining the trial. In some studies, researchers will reimburse you for expenses associated with participating in the study. Such expenses may include transportation costs, child care, meals and accommodations.

How long do clinical trials last?

Each clinical trial lasts a specific amount of time, depending on the medicine and/or treatment being tested. You will be informed of the specific time requirement before you agree to enter a study.