8 Myths on Clinical Research, Debunked!
Clinical research, which tests medicine and procedures under development, has many misconceptions being perpetrated by the media and elsewhere. Here are eight myths about clinical research that need to be put to rest.
1) Only people with current illnesses are eligible to participate
Healthy participants are also an incredibly important part of the clinical research process. There are many paid clinical trials for healthy volunteers, and these participants will undergo a free medical exam during the recruiting phase, another perk of even starting the process.
2) You won’t be compensated for your time
While not all clinical trials provide compensation, many do. DaVita Clinical Research (DCR) pays up to $250 a day to its participants, depending on the study.
3) Participating isn’t safe
Safety is the number one priority for DCR. There are several checkpoints in place that are designed to monitor the safety of clinical trial participants, and prior to enrolling participants into a study, the DCR team obtain informed consent from each study participant. Many precautions are taken to make sure the procedure is as safe as possible and that participants are fully informed of the entire process including all risks before they start. DCR has trained medical professionals available 24/7 to help protect the safety of study participants. In addition, during the study the study sponsor will monitor for potential safety concerns
4) They are unregulated
Before investigational drugs are ever tested in humans, they must first undergo hundreds of tests in the laboratory. An independent review board who regularly reviews clinical trials (the IRB) will review the study in an effort to try to protect study participants. Also, the FDA regularly audits research clinics around the U.S. and have to ultimately sign off on new research to be conducted.
5) It will be boring
Your one or multiple days spent in the research facility will be spent in comfortable living arrangements with meals and snacks provided. There are also games, a pool table, and other amenities like Wi-Fi and computers if you want to get a little work done or binge on the Netflix series you’ve been meaning to get to.
6) There aren’t many other people my age involved
According to an August 2015 presentation by James Denmark, founder and CEO of myClin Clinical Research and John Silowsky, Clinical Operations at Nektar Therapeutics “… approximately 70% of active study coordinators, research nurses and clinical research associates are members of the millennials generation.” Clearly there are plenty of millennials participating in this area of research science.
7) There won’t be enough information up front
Recruiters expect you to have questions and will be able to give you a wealth of information during your first call to prepare you for pursuing a clinical trial before you ever sign up. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that research groups give as much information as possible up front to potential volunteers through a process called informed consent.
8) It’s hard to find a study that’s right for me
There are hundreds of clinical research projects being conducted across the country at any time, with potentially thousands of clinical trials for both patients of specific conditions as well as healthy volunteers. Get in touch with a DaVita Clinical Research recruiter today to talk about clinical trial options and to answer any questions you have.
Disclaimer: Phase 1 (in-patient) clinical trials are not intended to treat a disease or condition. Phase 3 (out-patient) clinical trials may help treat an existing disease or condition. The information presented in this blog may be referring to either a phase 1 clinical trial or to a phase 3 clinical trial or to both. If you contact us regarding a trial, be sure to speak with the recruiter about whether or not the trial is intended to treat a condition.