Patient Information
WHY ARE CLINICAL TRIALS IMPORTANT?
Clinical trials are important as all new medications are required to go through clinical trials to track their effectiveness. We have cures for diseases due to medications and patients willing to participate in the trails.
WHAT IS A CLINICAL INVESTIGATOR?
A clinical investigator is a medical researcher responsible for carrying out a clinical trial's protocol. Investigators are either doctors, nurses, pharmacists, or other health care professionals.
WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE IN A CLINICAL TRIAL?
Participating in clinical trial provides patients a chance to access medicine not yet available for prescription. The clinical trial is being performed to monitor the drugs effectiveness in treatment and to see if it is safe. At this stage the medicine is experimental. Data collected during the trial allows doctors to find out more about your disease and the effects it has on you. This may allow you to benefit from better treatment after you have completed a trial.
WHAT IS AN INFORMED CONSENT?
Anyone entering a clinical trial in the United States is required to sign a form indicating that they understand what will happen to them during the study. If the patient is a child, a parent or guardian must sign the form.This form will tell you what treatment will be given, what kind of problems might occur, and what other treatments might work for your condition.The amount of help expected from the study will be given. In phase I studies, it is usually not known whether any help will occur.
DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR A CLINICAL TRIAL
Eligibility for clinical trial will be determined based on the type of study and you medical history. If accepted as a participant of the study you will then be asked to sign a consent form. When you volunteer to participate in a clinical research trial, you help answer questions about treatment of new medicines that will improve treatment for diseases and may even be helpful in finding cures for chronic and even life threatening diseases. Clinical trials are conducted for the specific purpose of improving methods to treat different diseases.
BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN CLINICAL TRIALS
Clinical trials that are well-designed and well-executed are the best approach for eligible participants to:
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Play an active role in their own health care.
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Gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available.
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Obtain expert medical care at leading health care facilities during the trial.
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Help others by contributing to medical treatment.
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Including trips to the study site, more treatments, hospital stays or complex dosage requirements.
RISKS INVOLVED PARTICIPATING IN CLINICAL TRIALS
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Patients may experience serious or even life-threatening side effects to experimental treatment.
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The experimental treatment may not be effective for the participant.
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The protocol may require more of their time and attention than would a non-protocol treatment, including trips to the study site, more treatments, hospital stays or complex dosage requirements.