Everyone has their own reasons for thinking about participating in a clinical trial. Maybe you want to find a new treatment that can help with your condition, or you want to help advance important scientific research. No matter your reason, here are some important things to know if you’re considering participating in a clinical trial.
In order to participate in a clinical trial, you must meet specific eligibility criteria. These requirements are different for each trial and are based on what the trial aims to study.
The clinical trial staff use a thorough process to recruit specific people for their studies. For example, they may seek healthy participants to understand what “normal” looks like for the study, or to use as a comparison group with people who have a specific condition. Or they might seek people with a particular condition because they want to research the effectiveness of a new treatment compared to what’s already available.
This list shows some, but not all, possible examples of eligibility requirements for clinical trials:
If you do not meet the requirements, you probably won’t be able to join that particular study. So, it’s important to look at the eligibility of the clinical trial you are interested in. One way to do this is to speak with your doctor about clinical trials that may be relevant for you. Or, you can search for a study based on the condition you are interested in, and then look at the details of that particular trial. There, you will see information about the eligibility requirements, location, sponsor, and more.
An additional benefit may be finding treatment for your condition. This is especially helpful if there is a lack of available treatment options for your condition, or if those currently available weren’t effective for you. You may find a new medicine, therapy, tool, or treatment that works for you.
Most of the medical treatments and cures we have available today were developed with the help of volunteers participating in clinical trials. By participating in a clinical trial, you are contributing to scientific research that may benefit you personally – and improve care for many others in the future.
Some clinical trials may compensate you for your participation. It’s important to remember that the compensation for each clinical trial looks different. For example, some clinical trials provide a specific amount of money, coverage for the cost of care, lodging, or travel expenses.
Depending on the trial, you may be required to spend time overnight in a hospital or have frequent visits to the doctor or research site. This is something to consider if you have a full-time job, are a parent, or have other responsibilities that may limit your availability. You may need to take leave from work or make other arrangements to participate. Make sure you understand these requirements early on so you can plan accordingly.
Not all clinical trials compensate you or cover every expense. You may have to pay for your own lodging, or you may lose income from taking time off work or traveling for the trial. Additionally, when you see your provider or seek medical care outside of the clinical trial, you will have to use your health insurance or cover those costs yourself.
Clinical trials are designed to test the safety and effectiveness of new treatments and interventions in people, to find out what works and what doesn’t. This might mean that you could have side effects or receive a treatment that does not end up working to treat your condition.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.