REASONS SOME PEOPLE VOLUNTEER FOR CLINICAL TRIALS AND OTHERS DON’T
by Ayesha Bhargava Basic KnowledgeClinical trials are a vital
tool in research for the advancement of medical knowledge and also, patient
care in general. They are research studies that involve people and are designed
with the major aim of improving the health of patients and their quality of
life.1
The importance of clinical trials2
cannot be overemphasized. They help determine:
·
If a new treatment works
·
How effective it is compared to other
existing options
·
If the new treatment has any side effects
While very good treatment
options are available for some conditions, there are still some other conditions
that require better options. Clinical trials are at the heart of all medical
developments. They are vital in the discovery of new treatments for ailments,
and also new ways to prevent, detect and diagnose such ailments.3 Clinical
trials serve as a means for researchers to determine what works or does not work
in humans. New interventions, drug or treatment options cannot be certified for
use until they have passed the clinical trial stage. However, without
volunteers, clinical trials cannot take place.
Who is a Volunteer?
A volunteer is anyone,
either healthy or with a medical condition, that participates in a clinical
trial. Volunteers are an important part of clinical trials, and they are
crucial in the development of medical interventions that may provide better
treatment options and even cures for potentially fatal and chronic diseases. Healthy
people, as well as people with disease conditions, have roles they can play in
clinical trials. You can visit ClinicalMatch
to get more details on how to become a volunteer.
Why People Volunteer for Clinical Trials
Over the years, it has
been observed that people volunteer for clinical trials because of a couple of
reasons. Below are some of the reasons people volunteer to participate in
clinical trials:
·
To
aid the advancement of medical knowledge
A high proportion of people volunteer for
clinical trials in a bid to help medical knowledge advance. They recognize the
fact that clinical trials are a necessary step in taking new medical
interventions from the researcher to patients that need them. Such people see
volunteering for clinical trials as an opportunity to contribute to research and
improve the health of other people.
·
To
get access to the newest, promising treatments
Volunteers with medical conditions
participate in clinical trials to improve their health. They know clinical
trials are opportunities to receive the newest, most promising treatments
before they become widely available. Nevertheless, all clinical trial
medications must have passed stern FDA standards4
before they can be used on the participants. Clinical trials are also a means
of getting expert medical care and attention from professionals 5.
·
They
receive compensation
Most often, you get monetary compensation
or some other form of payment for the time and effort invested in a clinical
trial. While some people volunteer for clinical trials because of the money
attached, some others consider the money as a bonus.
·
Recommendation/
Referral
Many patients only volunteer for clinical trials after
recommendation by their healthcare provider, relatives, friends or some other
people they trust. Healthcare professionals particularly play a huge role in
increasing the awareness and participation of their patients in clinical
trials.6 This is as a result of the trust that has been built over
time.
Why Some People Don’t Volunteer for Clinical Trials
Despite the enthusiasm of
some people about volunteering for clinical trials, there are still some others
that scare away from clinical trials. Here are some of the reasons preventing
people from volunteering for clinical trials:
·
They
lack awareness
Some people do not volunteer for clinical
trials simply because they are not aware of what clinical trials are, and do
not understand the importance of clinical trials. It was observed in a study that only one in
three adults had knowledge about clinical trials.7 Lack of awareness
is one of the most common challenges the research industry needs to solve. The
more aware people are, the more the tendency for them to participate.
·
Fear
This is another important reason people do
not volunteer. People are instinctively scared of the unknown.8 Most
people are not sure what to expect, the possibility of side effects and the
impact the trial might have on their health in general. At ClinicalMatch, the safety of the patient is of
utmost priority, the oversight of which is enforced in every clinical trial
conducted.
·
Doubts
regarding their qualification
According to a survey conducted by Research!America9,
80% of the respondents claim that an important qualification factor is a
physician’s recommendation, without which they would not participate. Also,
many people think they would not qualify because most trials have stringent requirements for eligibility10
to participate.
·
Cost
People also scare away from clinical
trials because they fear that the cost of the trial would not be covered by the
insurance company. Health insurance plans vary, and as such, some
plans might not cover for every trial.11 You can contact your
insurance provider to be sure about your coverage.
·
Inconveniences
There are some people who are willing to
volunteer but later on realize that they would not be able to commit due to several
reasons. Some of them come to find that the available study hours are not
compatible with their schedule. Distance is also a hindrance for some if they
cannot find any study location nearby.
·
Lack
of patient-centricity
Participants want to be assured that they
would be cared for and also listened to. They do not just want to feel like
experimental subjects but want to be assured that their opinions and
experiences would matter to the doctors and the eventual outcome of the trial.8
·
Lack
of follow-up
Some people fear that they would be abandoned after
the trial has been completed. They want to know their role mattered in the research.
At ClinicalMatch, not only do
we follow-up on the outcome of the research, but also follow up on the general
health and wellbeing of the participants during and after the trial phase.
REFERENCES
1.
What are clinical trials, and why do we
need them. Adapted from https://healthtalk.org/clinical-trials/what-are-clinical-trials-and-why-do-we-need-them
2.
The importance of clinical trials. Adapted
from https://ntminfo.org/the-importance-of-clinical-trials/
3.
Why should I participate in clinal trials?
Adapted from https://www.nih.gov/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/why-should-i-participate-clinical-trial
4.
Drug development and approval process.
Adapted from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/development-approval-process-drugs
5.
Five reasons you should participate in
clinical trials. Adapted from https://www.agingresearch.org/five-reasons-you-should-participate-in-clinical-trials/
6.
Physician referrals for clinical trials.
Adapted from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/161061/physician-referrals-for-clinical-trials-the-holy.html
7.
Patient evaluation and recruitment
strategies. Adapted from https://aspe.hhs.gov/pdf-report/evaluation-patient-recruitment-strategies-phase-i-feasibility-study
8.
Reasons people are not enrolling in your
clinical trial. Adapted from https://www.imperialcrs.com/blog/2015/10/25-reasons-people-arent-enrolling-in-your-clinical-trial/
9.
Clinical Research Survey. Adapted from https://www.researchamerica.org/sites/default/files/July2017ClinicalResearchSurveyPressReleaseDeck_0.pdf
10.
Modernizing eligibility criteria could
increase access to participation in clinical trials. Adapted from https://www.oncologynurseadvisor.com/home/cancer-types/general-oncology/modernizing-eligibility-criteria-could-increase-access-to-participation-in-clinical-trials/
11.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance
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Created on Apr 29th 2020 06:24. Viewed 583 times.