Being a part of a study empowers you to play a more active role in your own health care. If certain treatments are not effective or covered by insurance providers, clinical trials can be a great option.

Additionally, good clinical practices are of a high standard. Researchers may provide you with medical care and more frequent health check-ups as part of your treatment, helping you feel supported for the duration of the study.

2 – What is a clinical trial?

The National Library of Medicine explains a clinical study as “research using human volunteers that is intended to add to medical knowledge.” This knowledge can be related to the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of diseases and conditions. The main goal of a clinical trial is to determine the safety and efficacy of a medical intervention by measuring certain outcomes in the participants. 

There are two main types of clinical studies: interventional studies and observational studies.

According to the National Cancer Institute, “an observational study is a type of study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured. No attempt is made to affect the outcome (for example, no treatment is given).”

Oppositely, during an interventional study, participants receive specific interventions according to the research plan, typically created by a medical doctor. These interventions may be medical products, such as drugs or devices; procedures; or changes to participants’ behavior, such as diet.