The primary job of medical researchers is to find newer ways to diagnose and treat diseases in order to help people live longer and improve their quality of life. And clinical trials play a key role in the extensive process of medical research.They provide researchers with the information that they cannot gain through lab and animal testing. Without clinical trials, scientists cannot determine if a particular discovery or invention – a diagnostic test, drug, vaccine or technology – can be applied to humans, safely and effectively.

Since medical researchers are continuously working to come up with new tools, techniques and procedures, they are almost always in need of participants for clinical trials. However, many people wonder why they should bother to take part in a clinical trial and become subjects for researchers’ experiments? What’s in it for them?

If you also wonder the same, take a look at the following top four reasons why it isworth participating in a clinical trial, particularly for people suffering from chronic, incurable health conditions.

1. To Play a More Active Role in Your Health Care

Gone are the days when patients were minimally engaged in their health-related decisions. The dynamics of the healthcare industry have now changed and the industry has largely become patient-centric.Patient-centered health care actively involves patients in each step of their diagnosis and treatment. It helps patients gain better knowledge about their condition, available treatment options, and the pros and cons of each. It also helps patients gain knowledge about other ways of improving their condition, such as by making dietary and other lifestyle changes.

Clinical trials enable patients to be actively involved in their health care by gaining the right knowledge and information regarding their conditions from experts, available treatment options, their limitations, and potential advantages of the new drug or procedure.

2. To Gain Early Access to Potential New Therapies

Clinical trials are conducted to ensure the safety and effectiveness of a new drug or procedure, long before they are made widely available. This means the participants can benefit from the new developments long before they are made public.

3. To Receive Enhanced Medical Care by Experts at No Cost

Since clinical trials are about identifying the effects of a drug or a procedure on certain groups of people, the participants’ health is carefully evaluated before, during and after the trials. Participantshave to undergo various tests before a trial starts, they are kept under observation during the process and sometimes after the trial too. Simply put, your health will be evaluated and monitored by healthcare experts during a clinical trial, at no cost to you.

4. To Make a Contribution to Medical Advancements

Clinical trials are essential to get a drug or a procedure approved by the FDA and the trials aren’t possible without participants. In other words, medical research and development would come to a halt if people stopped participating in clinical trials. So, a person who chooses to participate in a trial is basically contributing to medical advancements, offering hope to hundreds of thousands (or millions) of other patients out there.

These are the top four reasons why you should consider participating in clinical trials. If you are up for it, get in touch with Wellness Clinical Research to get started!