Why should I participate in Clinical research?

Participating in clinical trials is a heroic act that help to advance the health benefits to future generations by assisting clinical researchers in answering pertinent medical questions through clinical trials. In this regards people who enroll in clinical trials:

Help to advance medical breakthroughs.

Every clinical trial is designed to answer a specific question. Through clinical trials, we have been able detect, prevent, control and even treat diseases that would not have been possible without clinical trials. The approved medicine we enjoy today, whether over the counter or prescription, was made possible by people who participated in clinical research several years back. You participation in clinical research is a posterity gift to future generations.

Gain access to promising treatment

Participating in clinical trials gives you access to treatments that may not be available to the general population. This is important especially to disease conditions to which there is no known cure. In some instance, the sponsor of clinical trials may provide a lifetime access to these treatments at no cost once the investigational product gets marketing approval from FDA.

Benefits of diagnosis of unrelated conditions.

Before a participant can enroll in a clinical trials, the doctors perform a prequalification exams as outlined in the inclusion and exclusion criteria and the study protocols. During these exams certain conditions that are unrelated to the study in question can be detected and diagnosed. This allow for early interventions thereby avoiding disease progression, which might have proved difficult to treat at a later stage. In addition, after enrollment to and during clinical trials, participants are monitored through regular medical exams which by itself is a benefit to the participants.

Benefit from alternative treatment.

In some clinical trials, the protocol calls for a comparison of an investigational product efficacy with similar drug (comparator) that is already approved and available. Participants, therefore, may benefit by receiving the approved comparator as a standard care for their conditions. In some cases the comparator is as good as, or better than the investigational treatment.

Information.

Participants of clinical trials get extra information about their condition and how drugs are designed and their mechanism of action in treating their condition. This access to information empower the participants to make well informed decisions for their health and for future trials or treatments.

Risks.

The effectiveness of any investigational product is not known at the time of enrollment, which is the reason why the trial is conducted. Therefore, participating subjects may be exposed to some unknown risk. Although these risks are kept in check through to rigorous regulations before clinical trials are conducted in humans, participants are kept aware of the following risks:

• New treatment may have unknown side effects, some of which could be serious. This is especially so in phase I and phase II clinical trials. Always report any side effects to your doctor. You may consider withdrawal from trial if it is serious adverse effect.
• Your insurance may not cover the cost arising from clinical trials.
• The investigational product may not be better than the standard care.
• The product may benefits other participants but may not work for you.