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REASONS SOME PEOPLE VOLUNTEER FOR CLINICAL TRIALS AND OTHERS DON’T

Clinical trials are a vital tool in research for the advancement of medical knowledge and also, patient care in general. They are research studies that involve people and are designed with the major aim of improving the health of patients and their quality of life. 1 The importance of clinical trials 2 cannot be overemphasized. They help determine: ·          If a new treatment works ·          How effective it is compared to other existing options ·          If the new treatment has any side effects While very good treatment options are available for some conditions, there are still some other conditions that require better options. Clinical trials are at the heart of all medical developments. They are vital in the discovery of new treatments for ailments, and also new ways to prevent, detect and diagnose such ailments. 3 Clinical trials serve as a mean...

CLINICAL TRIALS: HOW THEY WORK, AND WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

Clinical trials are research investigations that involve people like you and me. They are research studies which involve testing novel medical interventions, strategies, devices or treatment on volunteers in a bid to detect, manage, treat or prevent several medical conditions and diseases. 1 It could involve studying the response of the volunteers to the novel intervention and observing for side effects. The aim of which is to determine the safety and efficacy of the intervention, and compare its effectiveness to other available interventions. Clinical trials can also be carried out to test new methods of using or combining available interventions, and likewise to study how other factors like pharmacogenetics , dietary changes, etc. can affect the overall outcome of drug therapy. In general, clinical trials increase medical knowledge and aid the decision-making process in health care by providing reliable data. 2 CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT COMPANIES IN HOUSTON How Do Cli...

Factors Affecting Physicians Referring Patients to Clinical Trials

Introduction It has long been recognized that a very low number of patients are referred into clinical trials. According to estimates, only 2–3% of patients are referred for trials, a low number. Poor accrual is a threat to the timely completion of increasingly large studies, which are very important considering the criticalness of properly evaluating the latest treatments, while also avoiding the potential for random error associated with small studies. Referral for a clinical trial is not simple as it can be quite difficult with numerous steps to be taken in order to become a part of the process, such as: •         Patients need to be identified •         The study concept must be introduced •         The positive and negatives of experimental therapy must all be outlined •         The risks and benefits of standard treatment als...