8 Reasons You Should Take Part In A Clinical Trial

Clinical trials are a critical part of scientific research; they allow us to make sure new products and devices to manage, prevent, treat or detect disease are beneficial and safe for human use.

Thousands of clinical trials are completed every year spanning hundreds of countries around the world. The results of these trials allow governments to make decisions on health budgets, and doctors to make decisions on which drug or device is best for their patients. Patients can also use the results of clinical trials to make choices about their own healthcare plan.

Trials may test drugs or combinations of drugs, surgical procedures or devices, ways to screen patients for diagnosis, and care procedures. Each and every clinical trial requires human participants to take part in the study in order to test these new medicines and procedures, but it's very difficult to find people to sign up. Trials can be abandoned if enough people don't sign up to participate, and if that happens then answers to the research question the trial aimed to answer will remain a mystery.

Clinical trials are hugely important to human health and disease; without them we would be unable to move science forward, and ultimately we would be unable to save lives. Why should you be the one to sign up for a trial though, is there any way you can benefit from taking part in a clinical trial? Here, we try and give you some answers. 

Have you had a really busy week at work? Don’t fancy that big night out you’ve got planned and need a decent excuse so your pals will get off your back? They can’t exactly try and twist your arm if you declare you must remain sofa-bound because science said so.

Try, “I’m taking part in a potentially world-changing clinical trial and I must refrain from intense movement (e.g. throwing your usual wild shapes on the dancefloor) and drinking alcohol in excess (e.g. the inevitable 3am jagers you’re known for)."

Other excellent uses for taking part in a trial as an excuse include:

- Getting out of jobs your partner’s been nagging you about for months (No it’s definitely not ok for you to be doing DIY or unblocking the drains or really anything – much too strenuous)
- Doing extra stuff outside of work (You can’t possibly stay late, you have a clinic visit to attend)
- Jury duty (You’re trying to cure cancer and they want you to sit and listen to a minor theft case for 4 days? Nae chance)
- Visiting your in-laws (Your Mother-in-laws had a cold recently? You can’t possibly catch a cold, it’ll affect the results of your study tests)