Here's What You Can Expect From a Clinical Trial

At some point in time, every medication or medical device you've used has gone through a clinical trial. So what should you know about them?

"Typically, a clinical trial looks for ways to improve upon the standard of care to treat a variety of diseases," said Dr. Susan Nolte, director of the Center for Clinical Research at Abington Memorial Hospital. "Most are looking at new drugs or even devices, such as a pacemaker, that may be as effective or better at treating certain diseases."

But not all clinical trials study treatments. Some look at ways to prevent disease from happening in the first place, while others look at detection methods. Additionally, when clinical trials do look at drugs, not all are new ones. Yes, even drugs that are already FDA-approved continue undergoing further studies.

There are four different phases in a clinical trial, with each phase aimed at discovering different goals, such as the effectiveness of the treatment, its safety, and if it's better than what's currently available.

So how do patients benefit from participating in a clinical trial?

"While everyone receives great care, if you're in a trial, patients end up getting hyper vigilant care since they're followed very closely," said Dr. Nolte. "There may be more phone calls and additional visits, all of which are required as part of the trial."

"With a clinical trial, you'll not only receive standard therapy or further therapies when standard therapy is no longer an option, but also the possibility of more options and access to all different kinds of treatments," said Dr. Parviz Hanjani, director of the Hanjani Institute for Gynecological Oncology at Abington Memorial Hospital.

But is it for everyone?

"It depends on a person's eligibility," Dr. Nolte said. She added that there are very strict guidelines for a person to be a candidate for a clinical trial. These include having a specific diagnosis that is the one being studied, good blood test results, normal kidney and liver function and the ability to take care of his or her self.

If a patient meets the eligibility criteria of a trial, he or she should also expect a very thorough consent process beforehand. "Going over the trial, what's involved, the benefits and risks—it's not just a single 10 minute conversation. It's an ongoing process," said Dr. Nolte. "Patients know they can opt out of the trial at any time as well."

To get involved in a clinical trial, you can check out this government website to see a list of all sponsored studies taking place across the country.

"Abington Memorial Hospital currently lists all of its trials on its website, abingtonhealth.org, and we frequently get calls from interested patients from all over the country," said Dr. Nolte. "Patients are very knowledgeable about clinical trials these days, and they know that they might benefit greatly from them."

In addition, Dr. Nolte says many patients can be altruistic. "Some people simply want to do something that can maybe help loved ones or others in the future."