Why Volunteer for a Clinical
Research Study?
There are
several good reasons to volunteer for a research study. First,
participating in research, you become a part of the solution rather
than simply suffering with the problem. Secondly, by taking part in
a study you are doing something that has the potential to help
others as well as yourself. The sacrifices made today by study
volunteers pays off by benefiting everyone with and destined to
develop the disease. Since many chronic diseases are inherited,
this could include your children and grandchildren. The third
reason is that all the study related medical services and the study
medication are provided to volunteers at no charge. Often these
include physical exams, blood and urine testing, and X-rays.
Whatever your
motivation to become a
research volunteer, most
people agree that it can be a very satisfying and rewarding
experience. Everyone who has benefited from modern drug
treatment has reason to be grateful to the research volunteer.
Millions of lives have been saved or greatly improved as a result of
the valiant efforts of dedicated study volunteers. We all owe
them a debt of gratitude.
How to Volunteer for Research
Give us a call
at (404) 292-6300 and we will first check to see if you qualify for
any of our ongoing studies by asking you some heath questions. If we
think there is a study you might be eligible for, we will invite you
in for a formal screening visit. At the screening visit the first
thing we do is to tell you all about the study including any risks
or benefits of participating in the study. This is a good time to
ask the research nurse and doctor questions about the study and any
concerns you might have about participating. Before any tests are
conducted, we must obtain your written permission for you to be a
study volunteer. This is called obtaining informed consent. Next
we can begin the testing process. If your test results fall into
certain guidelines established by the study sponsor, then you enter
the active portion of the study and are randomized to one of the
treatments being tested for your condition.
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