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Category Archive: Clinical Trials

1. How to Find a Clinical Trial That’s Right For You – Part 3

   August 18, 2011 10:12 AM Leave a Comment

   In Part 1 we examined basic resources to find clinical trials and in Part 2 we looked at how to set up alerts that will notify you of clinical trials you may be interested in. The right clinical trial can have great benefits. You get access to new treatments not available to the public, which may work better than current treatments. You get free care at top facilities and help expand our scientific knowledge which may help future generations. But, you must consider both advantages and risks. If you’re not comfortable with a lot of risk, your search can screen out studies with a risk level that is too high. In Part 2, we’ll look at two ways to do that, as well as other ways to further narrow the selection of clinical trials your search returns.

   CONSIDER YOUR RISK TOLERANCE – If you’re concerned about possible risks, use an advanced search at ClinicalTrials.gov to screen out some trials. Under Targeted Search and “Interventions” you can specify the types of treatments you’d try. These include drug therapy, vaccines, procedures, surgical interventions, medical devices, and less intrusive options like lifestyle modifications, exercise programs, and education. Under Additonal Criteria, use ”Phase” to specify which phase trials you’re interested in. (Note: Clinical trials designated as phase I, II, III, or IV, indicate what stage they’re at in their research, including how much research has already been done. Find brief descriptions of each phase here: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/help/phase_instr and more detailed descriptions here: http://centerwatch.com/clinical-trials/overview.aspx.)

   NARROW YOUR FOCUS – While the sites listed in Part 1 help you search by condition, location or other details, you may also want to try a site with a more specific focus.

   • Geographic Area: Choose the top Research and Teaching Hospitals in your area and check their websites. They may have a section to search for research being done within their own Hospital, University, or Health System.
   • Specific Health Condition: Do a search using the phrase “clinical trial” plus a particular health condition. You may find a site affiliated with a university, government organization or nonprofit that focuses on research related to that particular condition. RESOURCES – Here are a few examples:
     • http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials
     • http://www.diabetes.org/news-research/research/clinical-trials/
     • http://www.pdtrials.org/

   Have you ever been in a clinical trial? What advice would you give to someone else who is considering participating in a research study? Please tell us about your experience in the comments section.

2. How to Find a Clinical Trial That’s Right For You – Part 2

   August 9, 2011 7:42 PM 1 Comment

   

   CAST A WIDE NET AND LET YOUR COMPUTER DO THE WORK FOR YOU – Use the sites below to find current studies that are right for you. Then, set up alerts to receive automatic notice of all upcoming clinical trials that fit your criteria. You won’t need to check back with the sites to search for new trials and you’ll never have to worry about missing an opportunity for a trial that is a great fit for you or someone you care for. RESOURCES:

   • ClinicalTrials.gov – Sponsored by the National Library of Medicine, they currently list 110,720 trials. Use Basic Search to search by medical condition and location. Try Advanced Search to sort by multiple criteria. To participate in a trial, select “Open Studies” under Recruitment (otherwise, they also list ongoing and completed studies not open to new participants.) Next, use some or all the criteria in Targeted Search and Locations to narrow your search. Finally, under Additional Criteria, set the appropriate age and sex so you qualify for the studies you’re viewing. If you need help searching, they have some good videos demonstrating the search process. Find a list of them here: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/viewlet/ct/index.html
     • Alerts for ClinicalTrials.gov –  They do not seem to have a separate Alert feature (to notify you of future trials.) One of their help videos explains setting up an RSS feed for your specific search criteria. This essentially functions as an alert, but unless you’re already familiar with RSS feeds, this is more complicated than the alert feature below, at CenterWatch.com.
   • CenterWatch.com – A global source of clinical trial info, like ClinicalTrials.gov (but not affiliated with a government agency.) Search like on ClinicalTrials.gov, but you can’t narrow your search as much. Search by “Medical Condition” or “Therapeutic Area,” then by location.
     • Alerts for CenterWatch.com - One of their best features is the Patient Notification Service (http://centerwatch.com/clinical-trials/pns/). You can set alerts, to be notified automatically (by email) when new studies are posted in the future that fit your criteria.

   If you have concerns about the possible risks of a clinical trial you can use the criteria in an advanced search to screen out trials you may not be comfortable with. In Part 3 of this post, we’ll look at several ways to do that, plus other ways to narrow your search.

3. How to Find a Clinical Trial That’s Right For You – Part 1

   July 28, 2011 7:46 AM 1 Comment

   While a clinical trial is not without risks, if you are living with a chronic health condition, at some point you may want to consider participating in one. Only you and your doctors can decide if a specific clinical trial is right for you or a loved one you care for. But if you feel your current treatment program is not fully treating your condition, or not adequately addressing certain symptoms; you may want to research what studies are currently seeking participants. If you’re interested in a clinical trial, here are some suggested steps:

   DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR DOCTOR – Your doctor may know of a specific trial they’d recommend for you, or they may suggest a certain type of treatment they feel you’d have the best chance of success with, or even suggest what to avoid. You’ll also want to do your own research. As you do, be sure to maintain an ongoing dialogue with your doctor about any studies you’re considering.

   START YOUR RESEARCH – A good place to start is to learn more about clinical trials in general. What defines a clinical trial, and what are the risks and rewards? What questions should you ask of those conducting the study? How are participants chosen? What is meant by terms like “informed consent,” “placebo,” “control group,” and “double-blind?” RESOURCES - Following are some good sources of general information about clinical trials:

   • http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/ct/clinicaltrials.htm
   • http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/clinicaltrials.html
   • http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/info/understand
   • FDA Office of Special Health Issues, Clinical Trials and Drug Development: 301-827-4460

   In addition to actively searching for clinical trials, you can also let your computer do some of the work for you and deliver information to you about clinical trials that meet your criteria. Our next post will provide some ideas for how to do this.

   What other information would you like to know about clinical trials? Have you ever used the sites mentioned above? Please tell us about your experience in the comments section.