For many patients, the journey towards health recovery can be filled with frustrations, obstacles, difficulties, and challenges. At some point, they get sick and tired of taking various treatments and making endless hospital visits. Hard-to-treat diseases can be difficult to handle if there’s no existing treatment or research about them. Some even join patient recruitment programs for rare diseases to understand their condition.
Joining clinical trials opens several opportunities for patients to find the best approach to their illness. To learn more about clinical trials, here are some potential benefits to those who wish to join.
Receive quality medical care at a top-notch facility
Apart from having access to new and potentially effective drugs and treatments, participating in clinical trials also means receiving the best medical care at a top-notch healthcare facility. You also receive immediate attention and medical help from experienced and friendly staff members.
If you don’t have an insurance plan, joining a clinical trial will also help you navigate the complexities of medical care and strategies to improve your overall health.
Contribute to medical research and innovations
There are reasons why modern drugs and breakthrough treatments have come a long way in the healthcare system — research and testing. Whatever the results of the certain clinical trial you join, you can guarantee that your participation is incredibly useful in helping researchers learn more about your disease or health condition.
The best part is you can help other patients with the same condition by contributing to medical research. Even if the trial didn’t produce the desired outcome, the information you provide would still prove helpful in finding out what didn’t work and driving the study in a different direction.
Find possible answers to hard-to-treat medical issues
Clinical trials are especially valuable for people looking for other treatment alternatives, particularly those with hard-to-treat diseases and chronic conditions. These patients may have spent thousands of dollars to get the exact diagnosis and receive the right treatment. Because of the lack of medical research about their existing conditions, these patients rarely respond positively to current treatments.
Patients may have spent a lot of money throughout their treatment journey only to arrive at a misdiagnosis and wrong treatment. Aside from the financial strain, wrong treatment choices can also affect the patient’s overall health. With clinical trials, patients can work with medical professionals to find new ways to detect, diagnose, and reduce the risks of developing the disease.
Clinical trials help researchers and medical professionals determine what works and what doesn’t in humans in other laboratory settings. They also help researchers determine whether a new drug or treatment’s side effect is acceptable compared to the potential benefits. For many years, clinical trials have helped millions of patients discover a new and more effective treatment for their disease.
Gain a sense of control in your health condition
Suffering from a debilitating disease or medical condition can make someone feel powerless and frustrated. You may feel severely restricted by your health insurance coverage or even the advice your doctor has given you.
Taking part in clinical trials will help you gain a sense of control over your current situation. You have the freedom to decide whether to join a clinical trial that suits your medical needs. Instead of waiting for a miracle to happen, you play an active role in finding the right treatment to address your illness.
Receive access to potential treatments and compensation
Patients that take the initiative to join clinical trials have access to widely available potential treatments. Before researchers give it to trial participants, every trial medication undergoes strict FDA (Food and Drug Administration) standards. So rest assured you won’t get harmed during the clinical trial because these standards will protect your welfare and ensure reliable research results.
If you join a clinical trial, you can get treatments or lab tests in a clinic, hospital, or doctor’s office. Aside from the free treatments, clinical trials also come with monetary benefits. Although it cannot technically take the place of a regular job, you’ll get paid for the travel expenses and the time you spend throughout the study. The money you will receive can help you fund other medical needs and other necessities.
Clinical trials are at the core of all medical advances. Patients looking for new ways to understand and treat their disease or illness should consider joining clinical trials and enjoy a range of benefits. While there are risks involved, it’s important to be aware of the type of clinical trial you wish to join.
