Clinical Trials and Their Increased Importance in Recent Times

The immense pressure that Covid 19 has put on healthcare systems has sent countries after countries in a tizzy. Never before in human history has the need of a vaccine been felt so urgently. Medical science and researchers have pegged their hopes on results of scientific clinical trials that could help them understand more about the coronavirus as well as the effect it has on a patient-whether a healthy individual or someone with a pre-existing disease. The importance of clinical trials in this regard, therefore cannot be stressed upon enough. And the increased awareness around the healthcare systems has made it even more important to know about Clinical Trials in detail.

What are Clinical Trials anyway?

A clinical research trial is a scientific research aimed at testing the efficacy and safety of an investigational/experimental drug, medical device or any set of procedures which claims to improve a disease or a medical condition. The research also establishes the quantity of drug needed, any side effects, potential benefits and risks associated with its use. You would find several Paid Medical Research Studies in Broward for your specific condition. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluates the results of such trials before approving any medication for general use in the United States.

How should I decide which Clinical Trial to opt for?

The medical research for clinical trial usually is of two types:

Observational Studies: These studies aim to observe people in normal settings. Researchers gather information, group volunteers according to a fixed criteria, and compare changes over time. For example, researchers may collect detailed information through assessment tests, questionnaires etc for a targeted group of individuals they have identified and selected. They then observe such individuals over time to see the affect their lifestyle has on their condition. This study opens up multiple avenues for the treatment of diseases.

Clinical trials on the other hand are research studies performed in people that are aimed at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention. Often forming the primary part of evidence based treatment of a condition, clinical trials help determine the efficacy of a treatment method along with any potential side-effects.

How long does the Clinical Trial take?

Any clinical trial takes place in phases which follow the same pattern for treatment of most conditions. The time taken by each phase depends on multiple factors which differ from disease to disease. FDA approves a treatment only after it successfully completes the following phases of the trial:

• A Phase I trial tests an experimental treatment on a small group of often healthy people (20 to 80) to judge its safety and side effects and to find the correct drug dosage.
• A Phase II trial uses more people (100 to 300). This phase aims to obtain preliminary data on whether the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition. These trials also continue to study safety, including short-term side effects. This phase can last several years.
• A Phase III trial gathers more information about safety and effectiveness, studying different populations and different dosages, using the drug in combination with other drugs with the number of subjects ranging from 100-3000. If the FDA finds that the results are positive, it approves the drug.
• After approval comes the 4th phase which continues to monitor long term results of the treatment in question

Several Paid Medical Research Studies in Broward by Royal Research Corp also compensate you for your contribution which are worth looking into. Once you have understood which phase of the trial you are participating in and what are the associated benefits and risks, you can evaluate your preferences and contribute to the advancement of medical science.