You might have heard of clinical research and trials. But for many of us, what we know about clinical research is based on what we see in the media, on TV shows, or in films.
Clinical research is really important because it can help doctors understand how to treat conditions. And improving their knowledge could benefit you, or others like you, in the future.
New treatments need to be tested to determine if they’re safe, what side effects they have, and if they work. And that’s exactly what clinical research is designed to do.
If treatments are found to improve conditions, it could be life changing for people. If not, researchers have still gained new knowledge on the condition, which can improve future research.
Treatments are usually tested against either a dummy treatment (known as a placebo) or standard treatment that’s already in use. This is to check if the new treatment’s working.
It’s important to understand that informed consent is not a contract, and you can withdraw from a trial at any time.
In any clinical research trial, the team will likely include doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. They’ll check your health, give instructions for participating in the trial, monitor you carefully throughout, and update you after the trial’s completed.
One group of patients is often given an experimental drug or treatment, while the control group will either get a standard treatment for the condition, or a placebo. These two groups are compared at the end of the trial.
Before you can take part in clinical research, you need to meet a set of criteria to make sure the study is right for you. All clinical research has guidelines about who can participate. It helps researchers identify the right people, keep them safe, produce reliable results, and ensure that they’ll be able to answer any questions.
Type and severity
of disease
Previous
treatment history
Other medical
conditions
Age
Sex
Taking part in clinical research can help you:
Everyone who takes part in clinical research is monitored very carefully and taken care of should any side effects occur. But, potential risks will always be explained to you, and could include:
Clinical research studies are highly regulated to ensure your safety in a number of ways:
We want you to have all the information you need to make the right decision for you. Download our factsheet to see some examples of questions you can ask before you decide to take part in clinical research.
Our team has more than 50 years experience with clinical research. We want to help make more people feel comfortable and confident in their understanding of clinical research and how they can take part. If you have any general questions, please get in touch.
But, it’s important to remember: we’re not medical doctors and can’t give you medical advice. You should also discuss any questions about your healthcare and accessing clinical research with your healthcare provider.
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