What are clinical trials and should I consider taking part?
Clinical Trials Clinical trials are studies to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical devices by monitoring their effects on large groups of people. Clinical research trials may be conducted by government health agencies such as the NIH, researchers affiliated with a hospital or university medical program, independent researchers, or private industry. Usually volunteers are recruited, although in some cases research subjects may be paid. Subjects are generally divided into two or more groups, including a control group that does not receive the experimental treatment, receives a placebo (inactive substance) instead, or receives a tried-and-true therapy for comparison purposes. Typically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves or rejects new treatments based on clinical trial results. The clinical trial system is highly effective in preventing obviously harmful treatments from reaching patients. However, it is often difficult for patients to understand a
