Clinical trials are when a team of scientists and doctors try a new medical treatment, drug, device or method on a group of people to test how well it works. The purpose of a clinical trial is to find a new and improved method to treat, prevent or diagnose different types of illness.
Whether you’ve already enrolled in a clinical trial or just started your search, here are five tips on how to prepare for the experience.
Have your medical history handy
The first and most important tip in preparing for a clinical trial is to compile a comprehensive folder of your medical history. This should include documents that state any pre-existing conditions, previous diagnoses, medications, and allergies.
This step allows you to streamline the screening process, ensure an accurate assessment of your eligibility for clinical trials and allows you to confidently facilitate discussions with health care providers and research staff. During the trial enrollment process, researchers can evaluate your suitability for specific trials.
Bianca Green, RN, says having your medical history handy is imperative. She told BDO “It’s important because you don’t want to be excluded for something you don’t have or take a medication that may interact with a drug you may have taken in the past if there hasn’t been enough time since you’ve taken that particular drug. More importantly, don’t leave the clinic until you know exactly what you have. Get the doctor to write it down.”
Bianca Green, RN is a senior manager in DE&I in Clinical Research at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. She has over 15 years of experience serving as a Clinical Research Monitor, Research Nurse Coordinator, Gynecology Oncology Bedside Nursing, and Oncology researcher at the benchtop.
Use clinical trial search engines
When preparing for clinical trials, utilize online clinical trial search tools and databases, such as BlackDoctor.org, ClinicalTrials.gov, or ResearchMatch. These databases identify relevant clinical trials that match your medical condition, treatment preferences, and geographic location.
During your search, narrow down search results using filters such as
