Research Resources For Patients
What is a Clinical Study and Why Should I Participate?
Clinical trials are voluntary research studies conducted in people. Patient participation helps researchers to find better ways to treat, prevent and/or detect disease. The aim is to answer specific questions about the safety or effectiveness of drugs, vaccines, medical devices, surgical procedures or new ways of using existing treatments.
For more information about how you can participate in clinical studies at RUHS, please contact us at CECORC@RUhealth.org
All clinical trials done at RUHS are reviewed, approved and monitored by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). It is an independent committee whose members include physicians and community representatives. The IRB:
- Ensures the study is ethical
- Protects the rights, welfare and safety of the participants
- Makes sure the study's risks are reasonable compared to the potential benefits
In the United States, a clinical trial must have an IRB if it is studying a drug, biological product, or medical device that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates, or it is funded or carried out by the federal government. The FDA provides oversight for clinical trials that use FDA regulated products, such as drugs and medical devices.
Check below for more patient information about research from the FDA and the National Institute of Health
Research Resources for Patients
- https://www.fda.gov/patients/clinical-trials-what-patients-need-know
- https://www.nih.gov/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you
- https://medlineplus.gov/clinicaltrials.html