Overview
Understanding Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate new medical approaches and increase scientific understanding of a wide variety of diseases.
Why Clinical Trials Are Important
Advances in medical care stem from new concepts and approaches developed through research. Physicians may conduct clinical trials to accomplish a variety of goals depending one what they are investigating. The different types of clinical trials are:
- Treatment: Testing new drugs, medical procedures or devices.
- Prevention: Seeking better ways to prevent diseases through medicine, vaccines, vitamin or mineral supplements, or lifestyle modifications
- Screening: Finding new ways to test for the presence of a disease or condition where early identification may important to treatment
- Quality of Life: Exploring ways to improve the quality of life for those chronically ill
Benefits to You
Involvement in a clinical trial is strictly voluntary, but those who elect to participate can experience benefits. Some of these could include:
- Access to promising medications, medical devices, or treatment approaches before becoming available to the general public
- Close attention and monitoring of your health care
- Free or subsidized health care for the duration of the trial
- Medical care rendered by exceptionally qualified and interested providers
Learn More
Links to Additional Resources