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Summary
Clinical trials are research studies that test how well new medical approaches work in people. Each study answers scientific questions and tries to find better ways to prevent, screen for, diagnose, or treat a disease. Clinical trials may also compare a new treatment to a treatment that is already available.
Every clinical trial has a protocol, or action plan, for conducting the trial. The plan describes what will be done in the study, how it will be conducted, and why each part of the study is necessary. Each study has its own rules about who can take part. Some studies need volunteers with a certain disease. Some need healthy people. Others want just men or just women.
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews, monitors, and approves many clinical trials. It is an independent committee of physicians, statisticians, and members of the community. Its role is to:
- Make sure that the study is ethical
- Protect the rights and welfare of the participants
- Make sure that the risks are reasonable when compared to the potential benefits
In the United States, a clinical trial must have an IRB if it is studying a drug, biological product, or medical device that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates, or it is funded or carried out by the federal government.
NIH: National Institutes of Health
Related Issues
- Clinical Trial Diversity (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
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Informed Consent
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
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Placebo Effect
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
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Who Pays for Clinical Trials?
(National Cancer Institute)
Specifics
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Are Clinical Studies for You?
(National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center)
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Cancer Clinical Trials at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
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Clinical Trials -- Information for Participants
(National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
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Clinical Trials: Benefits, Risks, and Safety
(National Institute on Aging)
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Participating in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Research
(National Institute on Aging)
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Volunteer Stories
(National Institutes of Health)
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What Are Cancer Research Studies?
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
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Will I Always Get the Experimental Treatment in a Clinical Trial?
(National Institute on Aging)
Videos and Tutorials
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Should I Participate in a Clinical Trial? What's in It for Me?
(National Institutes of Health)
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What Is a Clinical Trial?
(National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Cancer research provides a model for advancing clinical trials in dementia...
- Article: What differentiates clinical trial statistics from preclinical methods and why robust...
- Article: Using Short-Form Videos to Get Clinical Trial Newcomers to Sign Up:...
- Clinical Trials -- see more articles
Reference Desk
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Glossary of Common Site Terms
(National Institutes of Health)
Find an Expert
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ClinicalTrials.gov Background Information
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Search Clinical Trials
(National Institutes of Health)
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National Institutes of Health
Children
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Children's Assent to Clinical Trial Participation
(National Cancer Institute)
- Should Your Child Participate in a Clinical Trial? (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
Women
- Diverse Women in Clinical Trials (Food and Drug Administration)
Patient Handouts
- A guide to clinical trials for cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish