Frequently Asked Questions

A clinical research study is a study that explores and answers specific questions regarding a medical strategy, medical treatment, or device. A clinical research study may find that a medical strategy, treatment or device improves patient outcomes, is safe and effective, offers no benefit, or causes unexpected harm. All results are very important because they help advance medical knowledge and help improve patient care. 

Volunteering to participate in a clinical trial is a great way of contributing to the understanding of diseases that affect you and that affect many other people on a regular basis. Volunteering is also the best way of helping create effective medical treatments for those who are in need. All clinical study participants are volunteers, without the help of volunteers, medical research could not exist. Therefore, volunteers are the most important aspect of research.

There are some risks of being in a clinical research study; for example, there might be unpleasant discomfort that lasts only a short time, serious or life threatening side effects to the specific treatment. All specific risk associated with a trial protocol are described in the informed consent document, which must be read carefully and signed by the participant before agreeing to participate in the trial.