Links to More Resources on Clinical Trials

The following U.S. government web sites guide consumers to answers to questions and provide contacts to clinical trials, and to information on drugs and important health care issues. The clinical trials discussed in these sites are all available in ClinicalTrials.gov.


Clinical Trials at the National Institutes of Health

The NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland is the research hospital of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There, through clinical research, scientific discoveries in the laboratory are translated into new and better medical treatments and therapies for people.

Their web site, http://www.cc.nih.gov/, guides potential participants, their families and physicians about participating in clinical trials in Bethesda, Maryland. There is recruitment information for sick or healthy participants at http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/prrc/info.html#patients


Cancer Trials

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is the U.S. government's focal point for clinical trials on cancer. Most U.S. government agencies that conduct cancer research, such as DOD or VA, do so in partnership with NCI.
http://www.nci.nih.gov/

NCI provides information on understanding cancer trials, types of cancer, finding trials, resources for researchers, most requested pages, and more:
http://www.cancer.gov/clinical_trials/

NCI Clinical Trials Education Series provides publications for individuals and health care professionals to understand clinical trials, such as self-paced workbooks, slide programs on CD-ROM, booklets and videos:
http://www.nci.nih.gov/clinicaltrials/resources/clinical-trials-education-series

The Veterans Administration (VA) and NCI provide information on their interagency partnership agreement in clinical trials for cancer:
http://www.va.gov/cancer/

The FDA Cancer Liaison Program, Office of Special Health Issues with NCI answers questions directed to FDA by participants, their families, and participant advocates about therapies for life-threatening diseases:
http://www.fda.gov/oashi/cancer/cancer.html

National Cancer Institute, Office of Liaison Activities Presents, Understanding NCI: Toll-Free Teleconference Series
http://la.cancer.gov/teleconference.html


HIV / AIDS Trials

A service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offering information on HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention, and Research
http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov/


Vision Trials

The National Eye Institute (NEI) provides a clinical studies database, vision research information, and free education resources:
http://www.nei.nih.gov/resources/


Mental Health Trials

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supports FAQs for potential participants in mental health research; read "A Participant's Guide to Mental Health Clinical Research":
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/trials/index.shtml


Information on Bioethics

NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) and the NIH Inter-Institute Bioethics Interest Group provide information on policies and regulations, Institutional Review Board resources, guidance for clinical investigators, research resources, courses and tutorials on bioethical issues in human studies:
http://www.nih.gov/sigs/bioethics/

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) compiled a comprehensive bibliography from 1989 through November 1998, "Ethical Issues in Research Involving Human Participants," compiled by the National Library of Medicine:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/cbm/hum_exp.html

HHS Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) provides a guide and training materials on regulations and procedures governing research with human subjects; includes a guidance document on financial relationships in clinical research:
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/


Information on Medicare Coverage

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides information on the September 19, 2000 final national coverage decision regarding Medicare payments for routine costs and reasonable and necessary items in clinical trials. Read "Medicare Coverage Policy ~ Clinical Trials." This decision is based upon the authority found in §1862(a)(1)(E) of the Social Security Act.
http://www.medicaid.com/coverage/8d2.asp

Clinical Trials and Medicare Quick Reference Guide:
http://www.medicaid.com/medlearn/refctmed.asp


MedlinePlus Clinical Trials "Health Topics" Information

MedlinePlus is a web-based information service from the National Library of Medicine. Its "Health Topics" section has extensive information from NIH and other trusted sources on over 550 diseases and conditions, including a link to clinical trials. It also includes an informative "Clinical Trials" health topic page, with some material in Spanish, and an interactive tutorial on clinical trials.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/clinicaltrials.html


Information on Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration is the U.S. government agency responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of all drugs. The FDA web sites provide information to consumers on its activities in regulation and approval of drugs.
http://www.fda.gov/

The FDA provides the following general information about newly approved prescription drugs on its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) website:

Information on how drugs are developed in the U.S., read "From Test Tube to Participant: New Drug Development in the U.S.," third Edition, September, 1999:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/about/whatwedo/testtube.pdf

Consumer information about drugs approved since 1998:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/

Information on products regulated by FDA:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/

New and generic drug approvals since 1988:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/approval/

FAQs to CDER:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/about/faq/

The FDA Electronic Orange Book, which gives current approved drug products:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/ob/

MedlinePlus Guide to over 9,000 prescription and over-the-counter medications:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html