Clinical Trials & Research Studies
What are clinical research studies (also known as clinical trials)? Clinical research studies are designed to answer questions about new treatments that may improve outcomes. Many times these studies are conducted to learn whether new types of treatment may improve quality of life and may better control the illness.
Why do people participate in clinical research studies? Each person has his or her own reason for being in a clinical research study. Patients who take place in clinical research studies have an opportunity to benefit from treatments that have shown promise in earlier research. They also make an important contribution to medical science by helping doctors learn more about their illness. Some people decide to be in research studies to help society by studying new methods of treatments that may help future patients. Other patients enter clinical research studies as new drugs may be available that otherwise cannot be obtained or may be too expensive. Although clinical research studies may pose some risk some of which may be unknown, researchers take careful steps to protect people who take part in clinical research studies.