Clinical Trials

Clinical Research Trials Play a Crucial Role in the Future of Health Care

Clinical research studies at Mount Auburn Hospital are helping to advance medical practice locally and around the world. Clinical studies:

• Help care teams investigate new treatments, interventions and medical devices
• Provide patients with cutting-edge therapies that may not be available through standard treatment options
• Bring together many types of care providers — doctors, nurses and others — to study a new treatment from many perspectives
• Give health professionals opportunities to enhance their research and leadership skills

Clinical Trials: Know the Basics

Clinical trials are research studies that involve people. They study whether a particular treatment or test is safe and effective. Clinical trials also may consider how the treatment affects a patient’s quality of life. To take part in a trial, patients must meet specific criteria.

Funding for clinical trials comes from many sources including the federal government and private industry. Patients who participate may receive study-related care at no cost. Sometimes, patients who enroll in a study are paid.

Enrolling in a clinical study is voluntary. Before you enroll, a member of your care team will talk to you about:

• The purpose of the study
• What you will be asked to do as part of the study
• The potential risks and benefits of the study

You have a right to stop participating in a study at any time.

Weighing the Risks & Benefits of Joining a Clinical Trial

Below are some possible benefits of participating in a clinical trial.

• Medical professionals may learn more about your condition and how to treat it.
• You may gain a deeper understanding of your condition and take a more active role in managing your health.
• You may receive an experimental drug that is more effective than the standard-of-care treatment.

Clinical trials come with possible risks.

• The research may involve tests that pose a health risk.
• The study may be inconvenient, requiring additional or longer medical appointments than you are used to.
• You may experience side effects if you receive an experimental drug.
• The experimental treatment might not work, or it might not work as well as standard treatment does.
• You might not receive the experimental treatment. Instead, you may be assigned to a control (or comparison) group that does not receive the new treatment.

If you are interested in participating in a Mount Auburn Hospital clinical trial, your care team will provide you with the information you need to make the decision that is best for you.