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Step 1
Know the guidelines. All human clinical trial studies have specific guidelines for enrolling potential subjects into the study. To participate in any clinical trial that involves human subjects there are very strict laws to protect the participants. All clinical trial studies have a very defined set of criteria that the potential participant must undergo before a final decision is made to permit or exclude the individual from participating. This is called the "inclusion-exclusion" criteria and is an important principle of medical research that helps to produce reliable results. These criteria are based on such factors as age, gender, the type and stage of a disease, previous treatment history and other medical conditions.
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Step 2
Do your research. The decision to participate in any human clincial trial study must include a through understanding of the potential benefits and risks and the underlying agenda and intentions for becoming a participant. A good website to start background research is the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This is a helpful resource with plenty of information about research medicine and health for educational and personal use.
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Step 3
Talk to doctors, people who have participated in clinical trials and family, friends and colleagues who have direct or indirect experiences in clinical trials. The important thing to remember is to be informed and educated about the subject matter before making a final decision to become a participant.
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Step 4
Clinical trial studies usually involve a team of medical and healthcare individuals such as doctors, nurses, social workers and other healthcare professionals. They check the health of the participant at the beginning of the trial, give specific instructions for participating in the trial, monitor the participant carefully during the trial and stay in touch after the trial is completed.
If you have decided to participate in a clinical trial, be prepared for the first step: to meet with the clinical team which could be the clinical research doctor and the research coordinator. Make a list of questions to ask the research team and bring a family member or friend to the meeting as well. During the meeting take notes or record the conversation so you can review the discussion later on during your own time.
