What is a clinical trial and what do they study?

Research into medical treatments is conducted through clinical trials, which establish the safety and efficacy of treatments. Drug development usually comes to mind when clinical trials are mentioned, but medical devices, surgical procedures, and even alternative treatments like yoga and meditation can be study through clinical trials.

Why do people participate in clinical trials?

Some people participate in clinical trials to help others and help advance the science of medicine. Others do so because they are seeking a treatment that’s not currently available on the market. Participants can also benefit from additional attention and care from the staff working on the trial.

How to get involved in a clinical trial

If you’re interested in volunteering for a clinical trial, visit ClinicalTrials.gov for information on how to participate, protocols for protecting participants, pros and cons of participating, and questions to ask researchers. If you’re still interested, you can start searching the database. There are many ways to search the database, including by illness or disorder, the particular drug, device, or treatment you wish to receive, location.

Each study has a page that describes what the study is for, a detailed description of the study, eligibility, criteria for participation, contact information, and study locations. If you’d like to learn more about a study, you can email or call the contact for more information.