How to Volunteer For a Clinical Trial

To volunteer for a clinical trial is a noble and grand gesture because you are literally risking your life. Clinical Trials are usually conducted on drugs or devices (or combination drug devices) that are new and experimental. Even though the safety of these items is first tested on animals, industry experts must still test on humans to determine if the positive response from animals also applies to humans. The only way medical experts can show the FDA that a new drug or device is going to help people is to conduct clinical trials. Doctors need you to volunteer and here is how you can do that.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Internet
• Open Mind
• Phone

1. What disease or illness is required for one to volunteer?
   
   You do not have to be ill to volunteer for a clinical trial. There are 4 Phases of a clinical study and they are Phases 1, II, III, and IV. Occasionally, a sponsor might conduct a Phase IIb. However, the Phase 1 clinical trial is performed on healthy volunteers. The object of this clinical study is to determine how safe the drug is for humans to ingest. Typically blood work and individual reactions are analyzed for trends that might have been caused by the experimental product. That allows the sponsor to know if the patient with a specific condition is having other reactions to the experimental product that a healthy person did not have. College students are probably the largest population for Phase 1 clinical studies.

2. How do I know if there is a clinical trial for me?
   
   There is a good chance that no matter who you are, there is a clinical study for which you can volunteer. You do not have to be desperately ill to qualify for a clinical study. These experiments vary. For example, if you have headaches, sinusitis, leukemia, anorexia or is simply overweight; there is a good chance somebody is studying that condition to find a treatment for it.

3. Where do I go to find a clinical trial?
   
   Go to www.clinicaltrials.gov. Click on “Search for clinical trial”. Enter the illness you have or are interested in, such as migraines. Look for the word “Recruiting”. That means they are actively looking for volunteers.

4. How do I know if I will qualify and be accepted?
   
   To find out if you could qualify for the clinical trial, click on the name of the clinical study. Scroll down to “Eligibility” and read. This will tell you if you meet the criteria approved by the Institutional Review Board for the clinical study. If you think you qualify, scroll down to “Contacts” and find your country and state. The doctor(s) conducting the clinical trial in your area will be listed with appropriate contact information.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not be put off if the doctor is 25 or 30 miles from you. Ask if the Sponsor will pay your travel cost.
• Do not volunteer to be in a clinical trial for money only. The main reason for clinical trials is to improve a persons's quality of life.
• Many Ethics Committees considers "money for volunteering" to be unethical and therefore many sponsors and doctors won't offer money. They prefer offering other means of showing their appreciation, such as gas cards or gift cards.
• Know your rights. Specifically know that a volunteer have the right to “withdraw from a clinical study at any time without giving an explanation”. However, it is appropriate to give an explanation, especially if you quit because you didn’t like the way you were treated, the way the investigational product made you feel, etc. Sponsors and IRBs need to know about any abuse or ill-treatment or suspicions of fraudulent activity.

Resources

• Clinical Trials Website
• Privacy Rule for Research Volunteers
• How to Coordinate a Successful Clinical Trial Collaboration
• How to Apply For a Clinical Trial Manager Job

[jmessina10]

on 8/13/2008 Very informative.

[momofour]

on 8/12/2008 Thanks for the info. Great article.

[02SmithA]

on 8/12/2008 This was a great topic to write on. Someone has to do these or else we will never move ahead!

[asksummer]

on 8/12/2008 Very interesting. I always wondered about the clinical trials.

[Limowreck]

on 8/12/2008 This is a great article. Volunteering for clinical trials is essential to medical research and advances. These steps are clear and easy to follow. Excellent information. *****