Allows doctors and scientists to learn something new about how to treat patients

Designed to answer a specific health question

May test a new drug, device or treatment option

Determines a new way to prevent, diagnose or treat a disease or illness

Often is also called a Research or Clinical Study

You may receive a new treatment that is not available to any other patients

The new treatment may be safer or more effective than current options

Doctors and Staff monitor study patients very carefully and stay with the patient at every single step of the process

You may be among the first to benefit from a new treatment option

You may be required to give a little more of your time and attention than you would to a non-research treatment

This may include extra trips to the study site, keeping diaries, more treatments, hospital stays or even dealing with complex dosing of medicines

All of this will be explained to you before you make your decision to join the study.

The FDA requires that all medications and medical devices must go through clinical trials before being put on the market. If a new treatment proves effective and safe in a study, it may become a new standard treatment. The medicines that people take every day are all based on the results of clinical trials. Without people volunteering to participate in clinical trials, new drugs and devices would never be approved for use.