Clinical Trials: Are They Right For You?

Has your physician spoken with you about participating in a clinical trial?  Not sure if participating is the right choice for you?   There are many things to consider before making a decision.   First, it is important to understand what clinical trials are and how they work. You also need to know what to expect if you choose to participate in one of these studies. Participation can carry real benefits for some patients - and some significant risks, too. By learning more about clinical trials, also called research studies, you can make an informed decision.

A clinical trial is a research study of how a drug, medical device, or treatment approach works in people. Doctors and other health professionals run the study, following strict rules to test how well a new drug or a new medical approach works. When you volunteer to be in a study, you might try a new treatment or drug that may or may not be better than one that is already in use. The doctors and researchers don’t know ahead of time how the study will turn out. This is why they are doing the research.

Being part of a research study can mean playing a more active role in your health care.   It can also:

• Help you gain access to new treatments before they are widely available to the public.
• Offer expert care at leading healthcare facilities during the trial
• Help others by contributing to medical research.

Participating in a clinical trial is not for everyone.  Every clinical trial has a set of guidelines about who can be part of that study. These guidelines are also called eligibility requirements. So, before joining a clinical trial, you must qualify for the study.  Before you join a research study, you should know that:

• The treatment being tested may not work as well as the standard treatment. 
• There is a chance that the side effects of the treatment being tested may be more serious than those of the standard treatment. 
• You may have more doctor visits and tests than if you were not in the study.

Before you decide to participate in a clinical trial, you will also want to look closely at all the pros and cons. Take the time to talk about the risks and benefits with others. Talk to your doctors and family to decide if being in the study is right for you

Some good questions to ask about a clinical trial are:

• What is the purpose and phase of this study? 
• Why do researchers believe the new treatment being tested may be effective? 
• Who has reviewed and approved the study? 
• How long will the study last?
• Who will be in charge of my care during the study? 
• Will I have to travel to be part of this study? If so, who will pay for travel? 
• What kinds of tests and treatments are involved? 
• Will I have to pay for any treatment or test? 
• What are the known short-term and long-term side effects of the treatment? 
• How might being in this study affect my daily life? 
• Will I need to go into the hospital to get the treatment or drug? 
• How will I know that the treatment is working?

To learn more about clinical trials, visit our Online Learning Center to listen to experts talk about clinical trials and view this section on our Web site. Contact our Patient Educator at (800)747-2820 or clark@aamds.org who can connect you with other patients who have participated in clinical trials and can share their experiences.   

We are here to help you learn about clinical trials and how they work, to provide you with educational resources, and to personally answer your questions. You can also search for trials at clinicaltrials.gov. You can do advanced searches on this site to find studies in a specific state or country, certain treatments, or the phase of the study.