Debunking Common Misconceptions About Clinical Trials

Clinical trials concerned with new drugs or medical devices play a critical role in advancing human health. These targeted research studies allow scientists to discover new methods for detecting, diagnosing, and treating a wide array of concerns within the medical community.

You’ve probably heard interesting myths surrounding this topic on the internet. Today we’re debunking common misconceptions about clinical trials and their risks, processes, and benefits. Let’s separate fact from fiction to clear the air.

Myth: Clinical Trials Are Dangerous To Join

What exactly does a clinical trial involve? Aren’t these studies too risky to join due to their new practices and medicines? As we’re debunking common misconceptions about clinical trials, know that clinical trials aren’t inherently dangerous.

The intentional design of a trial revolves around answering a specific medical-related question. Research on investigational drugs does come with a level of risk. Yet, participants only join clinical trials after extensive testing ensures likely safety and efficiency for human use. For study organizers and researchers, participant safety remains a leading priority.

Myth: Participants Can’t Withdraw From a Study

Choosing to participate in a clinical trial offers a new option to improve human health—and a unique opportunity to advance medical science for the better. These studies rely entirely on voluntary participation, meaning participants play a key role. Volunteer participants are always respected, treated fairly and ethically, and protected with informed consent and rights.

For this reason, participants can withdraw from a study anytime if desired after initially volunteering. The door opens and closes—there are no legal repercussions for the decision to leave early. Medical teams can continue to provide care and monitoring to ensure no adverse effects occur to an individual after withdrawing from a particular trial.

Myth: There’s No Real Benefit for Patients

The percentage of organized clinical trials that fail do not fail because of an ineffective drug product undergoing research and development. Studies often fail instead because they do not meet enrollment requirements. For this reason, continual education about the benefits of participation is of the essence. Alongside proper clinical trial setup and support for researchers and organizers, patient participation remains most important for favorable health outcomes.

Each medical research or drug development study differs from one another, requiring varying tests, procedures, and clinical visits. But the one factor that stays the same is the significance of the patient to potentially improve standards of living. At the end of the day, science and medicine will continue to evolve, and those involved in clinical trials are a part of medical history.