Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat They AreHow to Find ThemBenefitsEligibilitySafetyCosts and RisksFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What They Are
How to Find Them
Benefits
Eligibility
Safety
Costs and Risks
Frequently Asked Questions
Clinical trialsaim to find new and better treatments for a condition. It may involve comparing two treatments to see which one is more effective and safe. People who havetype 2 diabetesor those who are at risk for the condition may be interested in joining a clinical trial.
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects more than 37 million people in the United States.Researchers use clinical trials to find new treatments and ways to prevent the condition.
There are benefits and risks to joining clinical trials, including being able to try atreatmentthat isn’t yet available to the general public and having access to a higher level of health care. Risks include not actually receiving the new treatment but instead being placed in the placebo group (the control group of participants not receiving the treatment being studied) or experiencing side effects from the treatment.
This article will discuss how to find type 2 diabetes clinical trials, their benefits, risks, and safety information. It will also cover costs and how to determine if someone is eligible for the clinical trial.
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What Are Clinical Trials?
Clinical trials are studies to determine if medication, surgery, a medical device, or other medical intervention is safe and effective. Some clinical trials for type 2 diabetes treatment are to determine if a promising drug is more or less effective at managing the condition than what’s currently available.
Clinical trials are one of the best tools scientists and healthcare providers have for learning about new treatments and finding better ways to take care of patients. Type 2 diabetes clinical trials have been used to find the best combination of medication to manage blood glucose, with the fewest side effects.
What Is the Purpose of Clinical Trials?
How to Find Out About Trials
Looking fortype 2 diabetesclinical trials can be overwhelming but there are many ways to find the right one. The first step is to talk to a healthcare provider. They will be able to guide their patients to local hospitals or research centers that may be hosting type 2 diabetes clinical trials.
Another great resource isClinicaltrials.gov. This is a database of both private and federally funded clinical trials in the United States and internationally. It covers who is eligible for the clinical trials, its purpose, and its location.
Other ways to learn about clinical trials include:
Joining a Clinical TrialTalk to a healthcare provider before joining a clinical trial. They may have questions for the researchers or may want to help coordinate care while the clinical trial is taking place.There are several reasons that someone may be a great candidate for a clinical trial and several reasons why they should not join. A healthcare provider can guide patients to clinical trials that offer the most benefit.
Joining a Clinical Trial
Talk to a healthcare provider before joining a clinical trial. They may have questions for the researchers or may want to help coordinate care while the clinical trial is taking place.There are several reasons that someone may be a great candidate for a clinical trial and several reasons why they should not join. A healthcare provider can guide patients to clinical trials that offer the most benefit.
Talk to a healthcare provider before joining a clinical trial. They may have questions for the researchers or may want to help coordinate care while the clinical trial is taking place.
There are several reasons that someone may be a great candidate for a clinical trial and several reasons why they should not join. A healthcare provider can guide patients to clinical trials that offer the most benefit.
Benefits of Participating
People join clinical trials fortype 2 diabetesfor several reasons. One reason is that their current treatment plan is not helping them and a clinical trial treatment may work better. Other benefits of participating include:
The benefits of joining a clinical trial go beyond the participants. Future generations of people may benefit from the information and research gathered. This can improve type 2 diabetes outcomes and new drugs in to come.
Eligibility for clinical studies is based on a several factors. Many of the criteria are things that participants do not have control over. They may include:
Another consideration in some clinical trials is if the participant has a study partner. A study partner is someone who can reliably join the participant on their visits, and may be a spouse, an adult child, or another family member or close friend. The study partner may need to drive the participant to and from appointments or share in decisioin-making.
Clinical trial participants are typically only allowed to be in one study at a time. Each clinical trial has different eligibility requirements. If you are not selected for one clinical trial, you may still be eligible for others.
Safety Information
Clinical studies and research do not have a perfect history in patient safety. However, there now are federal laws that institutions conducting clinical trials must follow to protect study participants. The clinical investigator (head researcher) is responsible for keeping all participants informed and safe throughout the trial.
Key to joining aclinical trialis going through theinformed consentprocess. Informed consent is when someone from the clinical trial tells the potential participants the risks, benefits, and side effects of the therapy being trialed. The participant can ask questions about the clinical trial as well. The goal is to ensure the participants have all the information before they start the clinical trial.
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a safety group that has to approve each clinical trial. The IRB is made up of doctors, scientists, and nonmedical reviewers who ensure that a clinical trial does not take unwarranted risks.
There is also a Data and Safety Monitoring Committee, the members are experts in the condition being studied. This committee reviews the clinical trial to evaluate its progress. If they find it is harming the participants or if it is not working, the clinical trial is stopped.
One of the main concerns about clinical trials is the costs and risks. Each clinical trial will be different, and asking about the costs or any reimbursements should be at the top of a participant’s list of questions.
Clinical trial risks will vary. There may be side effects or the treatment may not work. There is always the risk that the participant unknowingly will not receive the treatment being studied. They may instead be placed in the control group, which is made up of participants getting the standard treatment or a placebo.
Clinical trial participants are allowed to leave the study at any time. If you feel that it is not right for you, you do not have to finish the study.
Summary
Type 2 diabetes clinical trials can provide participants with new and better treatments that are not available to the general public. Clinical trials go through strict screening to ensure they do not harm participants.
There are many ways to find a clinical trial. This includes through government websites, healthcare provider referrals, and diabetes organizations. Once you fiund a clinical trial you are interested in, you will go through a screening process to determine eligibility.
Frequently Asked QuestionsSome diabetes clinical trials do pay their participants. Every clinical trial is different, though. Be sure to ask about payment or reimbursement for travel and time when evaluating which clinical trial you would like to join.Clinical trials can last several months to years. There are phases to each clinical trial, and phase lengths will vary. Always ask what the time commitment is before joining.
Some diabetes clinical trials do pay their participants. Every clinical trial is different, though. Be sure to ask about payment or reimbursement for travel and time when evaluating which clinical trial you would like to join.
Clinical trials can last several months to years. There are phases to each clinical trial, and phase lengths will vary. Always ask what the time commitment is before joining.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Type 2 diabetes.National Institute on Aging.What are clinical trials and studies?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Clinical trials for diabetes.National Institutes of Health.Finding a clinical trial.National Institute on Aging.Clinical trials: benefits, risks, and safety.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Type 2 diabetes.National Institute on Aging.What are clinical trials and studies?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Clinical trials for diabetes.National Institutes of Health.Finding a clinical trial.National Institute on Aging.Clinical trials: benefits, risks, and safety.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Type 2 diabetes.National Institute on Aging.What are clinical trials and studies?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Clinical trials for diabetes.National Institutes of Health.Finding a clinical trial.National Institute on Aging.Clinical trials: benefits, risks, and safety.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Type 2 diabetes.
National Institute on Aging.What are clinical trials and studies?
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Clinical trials for diabetes.
National Institutes of Health.Finding a clinical trial.
National Institute on Aging.Clinical trials: benefits, risks, and safety.
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