How to Take Part in a Clinical Trial

Would you like to have access to cutting edge medical treatment while helping scientists develop better treatments for others with your chronic pain condition? If so, ask your doctor about a clinical trial.

What they are
Clinical trials are usually studies of new medications and procedures that researcher must conduct to determine how well they work and if they are safe. Clinical trials can also look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses.

Requirements
To participate in a clinical trial you must meet certain standards called inclusion criteria. In most cases, you must have the medical condition for which the treatment will be tested; however, very early tests of new treatments are often conducted on healthy volunteers to determine if they have side effects. Other inclusion criteria may include your age, sex and any medications you may be taking.

Start Looking

  • Be a Partner in Clinical Research -- This article from NIH News in Health offers information about taking part in a clinical trial.
  • CenterWatch has the largest online database of industry-sponsored global clinical trials actively seeking volunteers.
  • ClinicalTrials.gov is a registry and results database of publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants conducted around the world.
  • ClinicalTrials.com -- This site by Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC, offers a wide array of information on clinical trials, including an extensive list of questions to ask your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.
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