Clinical trial participants, what to expect

The process of participating in a clinical trial depends on the type of research being conducted. A team, also known as site staff, for a given clinical trial might include doctors, nurses, social workers and other specialized health care professionals. The role of the site staff is to check your health at the beginning of the clinical trial, provide specific instructions and guidance for what to do during the trial, watch over your health throughout the trial and make sure that the study protocol is followed.

Based on your condition, some clinical trials involve more diagnostic tests and doctor visits than you might initially expect. The tests and visits help the site staff ensure that your health and safety are monitored carefully.

How to Become a Clinical Trial Participant

If you are interested in being considered for clinical trial opportunities, follow the simple steps below to register:

Complete the clinical trial participant form to add your name to our database of potential study participants.
If you filled out the form and are registered in our database, a member of the study staff will contact you when a clinical trial matching your criteria (based on the information you provided) is enrolling participants.
If you are interested in participating in clinical trials, you will go through a screening process to make sure you qualify for the trial. This usually involves a series of questions related to your health, the medications you take and possibly your lifestyle.
If, after screening, you are determined to be eligible to participate in the clinical trial, the site staff conducting the trial will provide you more details about your participation and answer any questions you may have. They will also ask you to review and sign an informed consent document.

Required Physical Exams, Medical Assessments and Tests

To determine if you meet all of the requirements for a clinical trial, a physical examination is usually conducted during the screening process. This exam may include:

Measurement of your height, weight, temperature and blood pressure
A test that records the electrical activity of your heart, known as an electrocardiogram
Blood and/or urine samples
Other diagnostic tests required by the clinical trial protocol

All of the information obtained during the screening process is kept secure. If you qualify for the clinical trial, you will be contacted by the site staff to schedule any trial-related clinic visits and discuss your participation in more detail. Your participation is completely voluntary. So, even if you decide to enroll in a clinical trial, you are free to leave the trial at any time, for any reason.

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