FAQ
ClinicalTrials.gov - Benefits and Risks of Clinical Trials

Return to Web VersionPrinter-friendly Version

• - There are both benefits and risks associated with clinical trials. By participating in a clinical trial, you may benefit by:
  
  
  • - gaining access to new treatments that are not yet available to the public
    
    
  • - obtaining expert medical care at a leading health care facility
    
    
  • - playing an active role in your own health care
    
    
  • - helping others by contributing to medical research
    
    
• - Clinical trials may also have risks:
  
  
  • - there may be unpleasant, serious or even life-threatening side effects from treatment
    
    
  • - treatment may not be effective for some individuals
    
    
  • - the study may require a lot of time for traveling to the study site, receiving treatments, or hospital stays
    
    
  • - health insurance may not cover all the study costs
    
    
• - Additional Resource Information on clinical trials can be found at http://clinicaltrials.gov/info/resources

>Related Questions:

ClinicalTrials.gov questions

Return to the top | Return to the list of FAQs
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/ctbenefits.html

Last updated: 06 May 2004
First published: 01 January 2001
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanence Not Guaranteed