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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(NAPSI)-Many medical breakthroughs that benefit millions of Americans such as pacemakers, artificial limbs and various pharmaceuticals would not have been possible without clinical research involving people who volunteer to test these new technologies and medications. But participating in clinical research is not without its challenges and risks.
In response, the Partnership for Human Research Protection, Inc. (PHRP) has launched a national campaign to educate people considering participating in clinical research trials about the risks and benefits of clinical research.
The brochure, "What You Should Know About Research Studies," provides facts about how clinical trials are conducted and gives people important questions to ask their doctors or the researchers conducting the clinical trial, "Why is this experiment being conducted?" "Can I stop participating in the study if I change my mind?" and, "Who stands to benefit financially from the results of this study?"
"People participating in clinical trials are helping to advance health care for all of us," says Karen H. Timmons, president, PHRP. "However, it's important that study participants understand the risks and benefits involved in a given study. This PHRP campaign will help potential research trial participants better understand what to expect and what questions to ask."
The campaign won support from noted consumer advocate Paul Gelsinger, whose son Jesse died in 1999 as a result of his participation in a clinical trial. "My family is painfully aware of the importance of understanding the risks involved in clinical trials," says Gelsinger, senior vice president, Citizens for Responsible Care and Research. "We applaud PHRP for this educational program that will help people ask the right questions so that they can make informed decisions that weigh both the benefits and the risks of clinical trials."
According to the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation, a non-profit consumer education organization, in a poll, 94 percent of people recognize the importance of participating in clinical research. Yet 75 percent of the general public state that they have little to no knowledge about the clinical research enterprise and the participation process.
This education campaign is part of PHRP's mission to help ensure the safety of volunteers participating in clinical trials.
A collaboration between the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the National Committee for Quality Assurance, PHRP provides a national set of standards and a voluntary oversight process for ensuring that processes are in place to inform and protect the thousands of volunteer human subjects who participate in clinical trials and other research activities every year.
Consumers can download a free brochure that provides specific guidance to clinical research trial participants by visiting the PHRP Web site, www.phrp.org. The brochure is also available by calling (630) 268-7444, Monday through Friday.
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