The Way We Make Progress Against Disease - Basic (Text Version)
- Clinical Trials
The Way We Make Progress Against Disease
- What Are Clinical Trials?
- Research studies to find better ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease
- Help health care providers find ways to improve patient care
- Why Are Clinical Trials Important?
- Most of the best treatments we have today are based on what we learned from clinical trials
- People are living longer because of clinical trials
- Do Many People Take Part in Clinical Trials?
- Few people take part
- The more people who take part, the faster we will find better ways to treat and prevent disease
- What Are the Different Types of Clinical Trials?
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Diagnostic
- Screening/early detection
- Quality of life
- Treatment Trials
- What new treatments can help people with a particular disease?
- What is the most effective treatment for people with that disease?
- Treatment Trials
- Many treatment trials compare two or more different approaches to treating a disease
- Participants will take either:
- The best accepted treatment
- A new treatment
- Prevention Trials
What approaches can prevent healthy people from developing disease?
- Prevention Trials
Two kinds, that ask participants to either:
- Do something
- Take something
- Protecting Patients' Safety
Informed Consent
Before agreeing to take part, patients have the right to understand all that is involved in a clinical trial:
- Procedures and treatments
- Tests
- Possible risks and benefits
- Protecting Patients' Safety
Institutional Review Board
- Committee made up of experts
- Benefits of Taking Part
Possible benefits:
- Patients will receive, at a minimum, the best standard treatment
- If the new approach is proven to work, patients may be among the first to benefit
- Patients have a chance to help others and improve health care
- Risks of Taking Part
Possible risks:
- Unknown side effects or other risks
- New treatment may not help every participant
- Costs
- Where to Find Clinical Trial Information
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
National Institutes of Health
www.nidcr.nih.gov
Adapted from a slide presentation developed by the National Cancer Institute, for its Cancer Clinical Trials Education Series.