If you are interested in joining a clinical trial, here are tips to get the ball rolling:
- Ask your doctor or a local medical institution for direction. In addition, large medical centers often list the studies they’re conducting on their website.
- Visit ClinicalTrials.gov, a database maintained by the National Institutes of Health, where you can search your condition for related studies.
- Sign up with a registry or matching service, such as ResearchMatch.org. You’ll be notified when a clinical trial is available that fits your criteria.
- If you have cancer, you can search for studies at the National Cancer Institute’s website at Cancer.gov/clinicaltrials.
- Check the websites of medical organizations and nonprofit and advocacy groups that focus on a specific medical condition, like the National Kidney Foundation or the Alzheimer’s Association. Many include a list of open clinical trials for those conditions.
- Healthy individuals can sign up to participate through the National Institute of Health’s Clinical Research Volunteer Program. This program was created to find the best match for a healthy volunteer and a clinical trial. Call 301-496-4763 to inquire about enrolling.
This article appeared in the May 2020 issue of UC Berkeley Health After 50.
Published May 20, 2020
