Please consider participating in one, or more, of the active volunteer human subjects research programs conducted by VA Salt Lake City Health Care System’s researchers. All of these studies are approved by the local Institutional Review Board and must meet strict standards for research and ethics.
Veterans, and non-veterans alike, are encouraged to check this site periodically for new research opportunities. Your participation helps find answers important research questions and improves health care for both Veterans and the general population.
Depending on the study, you may benefit from advanced medical treatment, and some studies offer modest reimbursement. Sign up today and share this information with Veterans friends and family.
Find Studies now enrolling at the VASLCHCS
What is a Clinical Trial?
A clinical trial is a research study where participants receive specific interventions according to the research plan or protocol created by the investigators, which could be medical products (drugs or devices), procedures, or changes to participants' behavior, such as diet.
Clinical trials may compare a new medical approach to a standard one that is already available, to a placebo that contains no active ingredients, or to no intervention. Some clinical trials compare interventions that are already available to each other.
When a new product or approach is being studied, it is not usually known whether it will be helpful, harmful, or no different than available alternatives (including no intervention). The investigators try to determine the safety and efficacy of the intervention by measuring certain outcomes in the participants. For example, investigators may give a drug or treatment to participants who have high blood pressure to see whether their blood pressure decreases.
Reasons for Conducting a Clinical Trial
In general, clinical studies are designed to add to medical knowledge related to the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases or conditions. Some common reasons for conducting clinical studies include:
- Evaluating one or more interventions (for example, drugs, medical devices, approaches to surgery or radiation therapy) for treating a disease, syndrome, or condition
- Finding ways to prevent the initial development or recurrence of a disease or condition. These can include medicines, vaccines, or lifestyle changes, among other approaches.
- Evaluating one or more interventions aimed at identifying or diagnosing a particular disease or condition
- Examining methods for identifying a condition or the risk factors for that condition
- Exploring and measuring ways to improve the comfort and quality of life through supportive care for people with a chronic illness
Considerations for Participation
Participating in a clinical study contributes to medical knowledge that can be applied to the treatment of other Veterans, and our community, regarding benefits and risks of therapeutic, preventative, or diagnostic products or interventions.
Clinical trials provide the basis for the development and marketing of new drugs, biological products, and medical devices.
Most trials involve some risk of harm or injury to the participant, although it may not be greater than the risks related to routine medical care or disease progression.
Questions to Ask
It is important that you feel comfortable participating in a clinical study. The following questions may be helpful to ask the study coordinator before you decide to participate.
- What is being studied?
- Why do researchers believe the intervention being tested might be effective? Why might it not be effective? Has it been tested before?
- What are the possible interventions that I might receive during the trial?
- How will it be determined which interventions I receive (for example, by chance)?
- Who will know which intervention I receive during the trial? Will I know? Will members of the research team know?
- How do the possible risks, side effects, and benefits of this trial compare with those of my current treatment?
- What will I have to do?
- What tests and procedures are involved?
- How often will I have to visit the hospital or clinic?
- Will hospitalization be required?
- How long will the study last?
- Will I be reimbursed for participation or other expenses?
- What type of long-term follow-up care is part of this trial?
- If I benefit from the intervention, will I be allowed to continue receiving it after the trial ends?
- Will results of the study be provided to me?
- What are my options if I am injured during the study?
- Which treatments or strategies work best for certain illnesses or groups of people.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov
Study Information
WIVR's Clinical Trials focus on medical issues such as: