Participants

Welcome to Chesapeake IRB’s site for people who are interested in clinical studies!  We are glad that you are here!

Many people have questions about research conducted through clinical studies (also called trials).

We hope that these pages will answer some of them. It takes a lot of people to make new medicines and therapies available for all of us – people like scientists, doctors, nurses – and the people who join clinical studies.

Clinical studies have helped in making available:

• The cardiac pacemaker
• The medicines for high cholesterol that help people avoid heart disease
• The osteoporosis medicines that help elderly women avoid broken hips
• CAT scans and MRIs that help doctors make better diagnoses
• And many, many more new inventions that improve our health care.

Clinical studies are tests of possible new therapies. Sometimes the therapies are not as good as those we already have. Sometimes they cause too many side effects. Often they are better, but it takes the studies to confirm this. So, there is no guarantee of a “better” treatment in a study.

Clinical studies aren’t right for everyone, but there may be one right for you or someone you care about. If there isn’t one now, you might find one to volunteer for later.

Thinking about a clinical study starts with understanding more about them – about what they are, who does them, and how the volunteers’ safety is protected. Some of the answers to your questions are here. Some will be in the links located on the “How do I learn more?” page.

And always – ask your doctor.

Remember, when considering a clinical study, always ask your own doctor.  No one knows your health better.