Why should I participate in a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a research study designed to test the effectiveness and safety of a new medical device, medication, treatment or procedure. It is conducted according to strict professional guidelines with consenting human test subjects.

People choose to participate in clinical trials for any number of personal reasons. Aside from helping others by contributing to medical research, participants in clinical trials gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available and play a more active role in their own health care.

An important thing to remember about research is that the information gained is designed for the benefit of FUTURE patients, not the clinical trial participants themselves. When people enroll in clinical research because they think they are going to get "treatment" this is called a "therapeutic misconception". Researchers are not allowed to promote research as treatment and patients and healthy volunteers should consider all the risks and benefits before consenting to participate. Your decision to participate should be based on realistic goals (e.g., helping others, advancing science).