How to Become Involved in Medical Research Studies

Medical research studies are a crucial step in developing new medicines and treatments. For this, they need a steady stream of volunteers to test the safety and effectiveness of new treatments. Volunteering for a research study can be a great way to make money, to obtain otherwise unaffordable treatments, or to help others who suffer from similar circumstances. Finding a study involves some simple research. Before you apply for the study, you will want to review your own health and medical history carefully. Once you have found a study that is right for you, you can sign up for the trial with ease.

Method 1 - Finding a Trial

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→ Look up local trials in a database. There are many reputable websites that are used by researchers to identify potential volunteers. These databases can help you find trials based on your location, medical history, gender, age, and risk factors. The following websites are reputable sources for clinical trials:

→ Clinicaltrials.gov

→ ResearchMatch

→ CenterWatch

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→ Contact nearby hospitals and universities. Visit the websites of any nearby medical research departments or facilities attached to local hospitals. You can also call these places or visit them in person. If there is a specific study you are interested in joining, contact the principal investigator. Otherwise, look for a research coordinator at the facility to volunteer yourself as a general participant.

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→ Watch for advertisements posted around town. If you live near a major research center, university, or hospital, you may be able to find medical advertisements put up locally. Keep an eye on the posters found on buses, subways, and taxis. Read the bulletin boards at your local coffee shop. By being constantly on the lookout, you may find a trial that works for you. They may even be advertised on TV.

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→ Consider the costs of the trial. Some trials offer monetary compensation, and most will provide some level of free health care. That said, there may be many hidden costs in the trial.

→ Cost of transportation: Some trials may be able to cover your transportation costs while others will expect you to pay for it. If the trial is close by or does not require travel, this will not matter. That said, if the trial is far away, you may have to pay substantially for treatment.

→ Cost of health care: While the researchers will most likely cover any tests or medications that are directly required for the study, you may need additional care that is not compensated.

Method 2 - Determining Your Eligibility

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→ Visit your doctor. During most trials, you will continue to see your primary care physician in addition to the medical visits during the study. Have your doctor do a physical or check-up to make sure that you have no new, hidden disorders. During this visit, tell your doctor that you plan to start volunteering for medical studies. The doctor may be recommend you to certain studies. They can also tell you, based on your medical history, what kind of study would be ideal for you. It is important to have this conversation with your primary healthcare physician.

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→ Identify potential study topics. If you suffer from a particular medical condition, you may be able to find a study that will treat the problem with new techniques. If you are a healthy subject, you can volunteer as part of a control group. Find out what types of studies may be interested in participants with your profile. Look to your family history. If someone in your family has a disease and you don't, you still may prove valuable to researchers. Some common medical conditions that are studied include:

→ Alzheimer’s Disease

→ Cancer

→ High blood pressure

→ AIDS/HIV

→ Weight loss

→ Mental Health

→ Smoking

→ Heart conditions

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→ Decide what type of trial you are willing to do. Different types of trials require different levels of intervention. Some trials will require you to report to the research center frequently where others will simply ask you to submit a form with your medical information periodically. Understand how much work you are willing to put into the trial. There are two primary types of trials that researchers use to conduct research.

→ Clinical Trial: These are medical trials wherein researches put participants through a new drug regimen or medical procedure. Patients are carefully monitored for improvement in their condition and for side effects.

→ Observational Study: These are studies where researchers follow the daily lives of participants over a long period of time. These are often to determine environmental causes of disease, the impact of diet and exercise on health, or the long-term effects of particular medications.

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→ Identify whether or not you fit the criteria. Each study has specific guidelines for the type of participant that they need. These guidelines may include age, gender, race, medical history, family medical history, and current medication usage.

→ Inclusion criteria are the specific qualities researchers want in a participant

→ Exclusion criteria are the specific qualities they do not want in a participant

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→ Check if your insurance covers medical trials. Most of the time clinical trials offer some form of compensation and are paid for by the organization that is conducting the trial. However, some trials may require payment. Some insurance plans do not cover you if you are volunteering for medical trials. Others only cover trials that are deemed “medically necessary” or that fulfill certain rigorous scientific standards. You will have to have the trial approved by your insurance plan to make sure that any extra care costs are paid.

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→ Weigh the potential risks. If you are seeking to test a new medication or medical procedure, there will be many risks involved. The research team may identify some of these risks up front, although there will be some risks they cannot foresee. Read over the advertisement carefully, and see what they label as risks. Call them if possible to ask them about risks as well as potential benefits.

→ For example, if you are suffering from a rare condition, you may find a trial testing new experimental medication that can help you. While there may be many risks, you may find that the low cost of healthcare and the potential improvement of your health are worth the risk.

→ Medical trials must be approved and monitored by an institutional review board (IRB). The IRB ensures that you are informed of all risks and that your rights are protected during the trial. Clinical trials must inform you of their IRB status. If they are not IRB approved, you should not apply.

Method 3 - Signing Up For a Trial

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→ Contact the trial. Usually medical research ads will include a website, email, or phone number to contact. The recruiters for these studies need very little information to go by, because generally the in-depth questions will happen in person. Follow their instructions to apply for the study.

→ If you use a service like ResearchMatch, you may be contacted by researchers who are searching for participants. Your use of the service does not mean that you are required to join the study.

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→ Provide your information. Once you have applied, you will be contacted by a research coordinator. This will not be a doctor. Rather this is the person who will meet with you for the study, inform you of the procedures, and communicate vital information between the researchers and you. They will ask you general questions to test your eligibility to the study, and, if you qualify, they will also set up your screening and baseline visits. Information you may have to provide includes:

→ Name

→ Date of birth

→ Address

→ Medical history

→ Family history

→ Allergies

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→ Attend a screening. This will be a visit in person with the medical professionals to determine if you are a correct fit for the study. It may involve a medical check-up. The clinical coordinator will outline what will happen during the study, what is expected of you, and what your rights are.

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→ Ask questions about risks and responsibilities. Because there are many unknown risks in medical trials, you want to be sure that you know as much as you can about the study. There are certain questions you should always ask before agreeing to do a study. These include:

→ What potential risks are there? Do you know of any side effects? How do the potential benefits outweigh the risks?

→ How long will the study or trial last?

→ What expenses are covered? Are all medical visits covered during this trial? Will I be reimbursed for other expenses?

→ What type of long-term follow-up care do you offer once the trial ends? Can I continue with this treatment, even after the trial ends?

→ How will my personal information be used, stored, and protected?

→ What will I have to do? How often will I have to visit the hospital or clinic?

→ What tests and procedures are involved?

→ Will hospitalization be required?

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→ Sign the informed consent contract. The informed consent form will acknowledge that you have been informed of the study’s procedures, risks, costs, and purpose. Read through the contract carefully. Sign it only if you fully understand what will be required in the study.

→ The informed consent contract is an integral part of the process, and is imperative for conducting a good investigational study. This should be given to you by a clinical coordinator or doctor.

TIPS

→ A study can last a few minutes, or more than a year. Generally, you are free to drop out of a trial at any time, although you should be aware if there are any medical risks you face by doing so.

→ Some studies can be done simultaneously, but others cannot. It is a good idea to weigh the costs and benefits before joining more than one.

Warnings

→ Any new, experimental medicine has the possibility of unforeseen risks such as illness or death. Carefully consider the risks before joining.