What to Expect
Study-Related Tests, Exams, and Study Drugs are All Provided at No Cost
Everyday clinical research studies uncover new information about medical conditions and potentially successful therapies. Involvement in clinical research studies help in the development of new medications. Participation in a clinical research study is entirely voluntary with people choosing to participate for a variety of reasons. Many enroll in clinical research studies because they want to help others by advancing medical science. Some are interested in receiving investigational medications before they are made available to the public, or some have found that conventional treatments are not fully effective in relieving their symptoms or conditions.
When you participate in a clinical research study, all related physical exams, medical testing, and investigational drugs are all provided at no cost. In many cases the examinations received during participation have proven to be beneficial by sometimes uncovering conditions previously unrecognized.
Eligibility to Participate
Each clinical research study has specific inclusion and exclusion criteria that must be met which ensures that the investigational medication is tested in a specific patient population, as designated by the pharmaceutical company sponsoring the study. Above all, participants are treated with respect, beneficence and with justice which are the cornerstones for the ethical treatment of human subjects in research. The first step is to contact us to discuss the specifics of a study. As our patient you will have a unique opportunity — not only will you receive care in a relaxed atmosphere, but you may gain access to a treatment being studied which is otherwise unavailable, and help others in the future by participating in medical research.
Your Decision to Participate
Charlottesville Medical Research Center is dedicated to ensuring every volunteer that they will have complete information to make their own informed decisions.
Volunteers will:
- Be informed of the nature and purpose of the investigation.
- Be given an explanation of the procedures to be followed in the medical investigation and any drug or device to be utilized.
- Be given a description of any potential attendant discomfort and risks to be reasonably expected from your participation in the investigation.
- Be given an explanation of any benefits to be reasonably expected from your participation in the investigation.
- Be given a disclosure of any appropriate alternative procedures, drugs or devices that might be advantageous to you, and their relative risks and benefits.
- Be informed of the avenues of medical treatment, if any, available to you after the investigational procedure if complications should arise.
- Be given an opportunity to ask any questions concerning the medical investigation of the procedure involved.
- Be instructed that consent to participate in the investigational procedure may be withdrawn at any time and that you may discontinue participation in the medical investigation without prejudice.
- Be given a copy of the signed and dated written consent form.
- Be given the opportunity to decide to consent or not to consent to the medical investigation without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, coercion, or undue influence on your decision.
