You might have heard of the term “clinical study” used across the internet, social media or the news to explain why and how something works. Perhaps there is new evidence about how long humans should sleep based on a clinical study. Or you might stumble upon a new product that claims it is backed by data from a clinical study.
Another reason you might have come across this term is if you have ever looked up how to participate in a clinical study or if you have seen ads recruiting people for clinical studies. If you are wondering if a clinical study is the same as a clinical trial or if you should consider joining either a clinical study or a clinical trial, you are in the right place!
Let’s take a look into what clinical studies are, what is a clinical trial, and if these two terms can be used interchangeably. Plus if you are interested in learning more about taking part in clinical trials you will be able to better understand what clinical trials are!
What is a clinical study?
A clinical study is a broad term that refers to investigations dealing with people. These clinical studies can be based on wanting to understand more about medical, behavioral or even surgical interactions.
Some clinical trials involve an intervention which can be a medication or device that needs to be used by human participants. This way the researchers can collect data and infer whether the new medication or device works for its intended purpose.
Other clinical studies are observational. These clinical studies do not use interventions such as medications or devices. These might follow the natural disease progression of an individual or investigate different relationships between two variables.
For example, let’s pretend a psychologist is trying to test if a stress management program works. They would carry out a clinical study to determine if there is a difference between a group of people who participate in the program and the group that does not. They can use different tests to gauge the participants level of stress as well as self reported measures.
Since in this example we are testing the effect of a stress management program, this would be considered interventional. The intervention being the program that participants are assigned to.
An example of an observational study would be if researchers are trying to assess whether a specific diet is healthy in the long run or if there are effects on nutrition and long term health effects. If you are trying to test if high fats or perhaps high cholesterol increases the risk of cardiac issues, you can have participants record their meals over years. This might be combined with physicals or check ups throughout the duration of the study. However, there is no intervention as you are only concerned about recording and tracking relationships between two factors. In this example nutrition with heart health.
What is a clinical trial
You might hear the term clinical trial used interchangeably with clinical study. And that’s because for the most part it is. A clinical trial is a study that uses a defined protocol to understand if a new medication or device works. It is used to identify the effects of the new product, its safety and its effectiveness on what it is trying to achieve.
Clinical trials do not always have to involve medications; it can also be used for devices such as monitors for different conditions. The important part to remember is that clinical trials are meant to test whether a new product (medication or device) works as promised through a range of people. While at the same time this new product has to be safe to be used in humans without significant unwanted reactions.
A clinical trial has eligibility requirements and once the person is deemed eligible they must start the process by signing consent and following the researcher’s instruction which is based on the protocol. By using the protocol to conduct the study, the research team is able to use standardized ways to test the product.
An example of a clinical trial would be if researchers identify a chemical compound that can lower blood pressure. This chemical compound would of course be a medication that needs to be trialed before it is determined to be safe and effective. The researchers would need a well defined protocol which must be approved by regulatory and ethics committees. This protocol is used as a guidebook for how the clinical trial should be conducted. It describes everything there is to know about the clinical trial.
Once the patient enrolls after being found eligible to participate, the research team will use the protocol to make sure the clinical trial is standardized. The same procedures and medications are given in the same way to every participant. Of course sometimes placebos are involved and the people administering the medication will not know if it is the placebo or the actual medication.
There are lots of steps to participating in clinical trials and you might have lots of questions. Luckily we are here to guide you and make sure you are well informed on everything related to participating in clinical trials!
Is a clinical study the same as a clinical trial?
While the term clinical study and clinical trial can be used interchangeably, this can sometimes be incorrect. Every clinical trial is a clinical study, since the trial is used to evaluate the effect of a new product on humans. But not every clinical study is a clinical trial as clinical trials focus on interventions and their safety and efficacy.
A clinical trial is focused on making sure the medicine or device actually works and that is safe to use. Clinical trials are always recruiting participants to trial new medications as this is an important part in creating effective treatments. Once enough participants have tried the device or medication, the data can be used to prove that it is safe and effective. This way, new medications can reach the hands of patients who need them the most.
Top Three Reasons Why You Should Participate in a Clinical Trial
Helping science and Healthcare by participating in Clinical Trials
There are many reasons why you might want to participate in a clinical trial. One of the biggest reasons is that you will be helping advance science and healthcare. There are many clinical trials in need of diverse groups of individuals. Clinical trials are conducted to ensure that researchers know how the medications work on a portion of the whole population. Once these trials are complete, the medications are available to people who suffer from the disease.
Paid Clinical Trials
As we discussed, clinical trials involve the testing of new medications and devices. The pharmaceutical company who is developing the medication pays participants for their time and participation. The amount of money that is paid for participating in clinical trials can vary by trial and depends on many factors.
Even though knowing that you can earn thousands of dollars by participating in clinical trials, this should not be your biggest motivator. There are different ways to earn money in healthcare and you should do your research on what is best for yourself and your goals.
Treatment for a variety of medical issues
If you have a diagnosis and have tried all of the medications currently available to no avail, you can find clinical trials that might be able to help. It can be frustrating knowing that what the doctor prescribes you is not working and there is little they can do to help. In clinical trials there are always new medications that are undergoing trials.
You can potentially help other patients who are going through the same medical issue by participating in paid clinical trials. This way more treatments will be available and you can possibly receive treatment while you are participating in the clinical trial.