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Clinical trials are a critical part of medical research and progress. They mean medical professionals can conduct medical research on interventions and medications to bring new drugs and research to market.
“When you volunteer for clinical research, you help doctors learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.”
NIH
Clinical researchers conduct studies in a variety of categories including epidemiology (disease study patterns), behavioral research, health services, and access and clinical trials which focus on interventions and medications. To conduct a successful clinical trial, a series of phases must be followed.
What do Clinical Trials Study?
Clinical trials look at ways to prevent, diagnose and cure diseases. They are at the heart of medical advancement which means your participation is too. Clinical trials can study:
- Medications
- Approaches and innovations in surgery
- Medical Devices
- Ways to improve existing treatments
If you are planning to join a clinical trial or are interested in one, be sure you know and understand the purpose of the study. Check out these 14 questions you should ask as you prepare to participate in a clinical trial.
The Phases of Clinical Trials
Typically, clinical trials are conducted in four phases. As a result, each phase has a specific question to answer.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, during pharmacological drug trials "researchers gradually build evidence about whether an intervention or drug is effective." There are a few key phases for drug trial testing:
First Phase: This stage typically involves fewer than 100 volunteers and looks at the risks and side effects of a drug. Participants at this phase are usually healthy volunteers.
A few hundred volunteers with the condition the drug is intended to treat participate in phase II trials. These studies provide further information about safety and help to determine the best dosage of a drug.
Phase III trials: enroll several hundred to thousands of volunteers, often at multiple study sites worldwide.
Final Phase: Whenever a drug is approved by the FDA and makes its way to the public, researchers monitor its safety in the general population, seeking to learn more about a drug's benefits and optimal use.
Types of Participants
Many types of people take part in clinical trials. Successful research and outcomes require both healthy individuals and people with diseases. Diversity and equity have also become cornerstones of quality medical research. This ensures that each individual group of people are well studied and treated for various conditions.
Peer-reviewed journals publish clinical trial results. To ensure the validity of these publications, external medical professionals must review the research. In NIH's words, "once a new approach has been proven safe and effective in a clinical trial, it may become a new standard of medical practice."
Why Should I Consider Participating?
Clinical research is critical to the advancement of medical interventions and practices. Without clinical trial volunteers, both healthy and with diagnoses, can medical practitioners advance and modify the fields of treatment and medications.
"Clinical research requires complex and rigorous testing in collaboration with affected communities. As research opens new doors to finding ways to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure disease and disability, clinical trial participation is essential to help us find the answers.”
Participating in a clinical trial means you get a say in what goes to market for your condition(s). If you'd like to learn more, join us on PatientsLikeMe.
See if you are eligible for one of our recent partner clinical trials for Alzheimer's
