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Medical research
Clinical Trials
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Full list of topics
Finding out about a trial :
What are clinical trials and why do we need them?
Different types of clinical trial
Being asked about taking part in a trial
Information and questions
Difficulties finding a trial to join
Deciding whether to take part – risk and benefits :
Reasons for wanting to take part – personal benefit
Reasons for wanting to take part – helping medical science
Deciding not to take part
Thinking about withdrawing from a trial
Why people may not be eligible to join a trial
Being in a trial :
Feelings about being allocated (randomised) to a treatment group
Feelings about being in a placebo-controlled trial
Blinded trials
Non-randomised trial designs and other studies
Side effects and queries
Time commitment, money and other practical issues
Appointments, monitoring, questionnaires
Communication between different health professionals
At the end of a trial :
Feelings when a trial ends
Feedback of trial results
Other issues :
Attitudes to taking part in another trial
Funding and publishing trials
Public awareness and involvement
Under-researched topics/priorities for other research
Messages to other people
Messages to professionals
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Clinical Trials
Subject index
Topic
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Feedback of trial results
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Feedback of trial results
Feedback of trial results
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Feedback of trial results
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Feedback of trial results
Feedback of trial results
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Feedback of trial results
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Feedback of trial results
Feedback of trial results
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Funding and publishing trials
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Funding and publishing trials
Funding and publishing trials
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Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Screening, prevention other medical interventions
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Sue - Interview 01
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After the trial Sue was sent a copy of the report and an easy-to-read summary. She was pleased that the decision aid had been shown to help.
Sue’s first baby was born by emergency caesarean. In her next pregnancy she took part in a trial looking at different types of information and decision aids about birth choices for women who had already had one caesarean. She was pleased to be involved.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Long term conditions
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Phil - Interview 11
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At the end of the trial participants were invited to a big meeting where the results were presented and explained. It felt very satisfying to be part
Phil took part in a trial of medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol. He had some side effects early on, so the medication was changed. He has been very happy with the care provided as part of the trial.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Mental health trials
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Fenella - Interview 20
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Fenella was given a copy of the journal article reporting the trial results. It was rewarding to feel her contribution had helped other people.
Fenella took part in a randomised trial of partial hospitalisation compared to standard community treatment for borderline personality disorder. Results showed the group she was in (partial hospitalisation) had better outcomes.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Screening, prevention other medical interventions
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Sabiha - Interview 19
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Feedback of results shows respect for people’s contribution. If they don’t feel involved they may be less likely to volunteer again in future.
Sabiha took part in a trial of breast screening for younger women (under 50). More recently she volunteered for a trial of cholesterol-lowering drugs but was not eligible because her cholesterol level was too low.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Not taking part in a trial
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Elizabeth - Interview 27
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It is important that trial results are explained to participants, whether they are positive or negative. People will find out one way or another, and
Elizabeth was invited to join a trial of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, but decided not to take part as she knew which treatment she would prefer and did not want to be randomised to another group. She felt the consultant was cross about her decision.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Trials involving surgery
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Alex - Interview 45
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He doesn’t remember being told if he would receive the results. He asked to see a copy, but not everyone would want to.
Alex fractured his heel in 2007. He agreed to take part in a trial comparing surgery with letting the bones heal naturally. He was randomised to the group having surgery, and his heel is slowly recovering.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Trials involving surgery
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Merilyn - Interview 41
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Merilyn would like to know how the trial is going, but she hasn’t asked. She doesn’t think she was promised a copy of the final results.
Merilyn took part in a randomised trial of different procedures for carrying out a heart bypass operation. She was in the group which had the new procedure.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Cancer - Non-randomised studies
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Anthea - Interview 39
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Anthea always asks lots of questions about how the trial is going, but that’s a personal choice to have lots of information. She’s not sure if she wou
Anthea was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2000. She has been in a randomised trial of treatment with interferon and is now in a phase 1 trial of a combination of drugs which attack the DNA of cancer cells.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Screening, prevention other medical interventions
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Rosamund - Interview 18
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People who organise research have an ethical responsibility to give feedback to participants, but final results may not be available for a long time.
Rosamund is taking part in a large trial testing the effectiveness of screening for ovarian cancer. She is in the control group, so she has no screening tests but completes regular questionnaires.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Long term conditions
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Kate - Interview 13
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The research nurse shared preliminary results with them and told them about presentations he was giving, to keep them informed and engaged.
Kate and her husband took part in a trial comparing injections of grass pollen antigen against a placebo as a way to reduce hay fever. Kate was in the experimental group and her husband in the placebo group.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Mental health trials
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Fenella - Interview 20
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Not all patients will be able to read an academic journal article, so other ways of presenting results must be found. During the trial, postcards coul
Fenella took part in a randomised trial of partial hospitalisation compared to standard community treatment for borderline personality disorder. Results showed the group she was in (partial hospitalisation) had better outcomes.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Screening, prevention other medical interventions
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Joanna - Interview 04
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It should be easier for people to get the results of trials, and researchers should make sure they build in the costs of providing good feedback.
Joanna took part in a six-year trial of screening for ovarian cancer. She feels some aspects of the trial were not well managed. Her husband, who had leukaemia and died recently, also took part in trials.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Cancer - Non-randomised studies
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Julian - Interview 33
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Julian opted to get copies of any letters to his GP, and asks for updates on his own test results. He’d like more opportunities to meet other patients
Julian has prostate cancer. He is in a Phase 1 trial of a drug (a PARP inhibitor) which may stop cancer cells regrowing in people like him who have the BRCA2 genetic mutation. This mutation increases the risk of prostate and other cancers.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Long term conditions
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Sarah - Interview 38
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The trial staff said they’d make sure Sarah’s GP was told that she had osteoporosis. Later she discovered he had no record of it, so she feels she mis
Sarah volunteered for a placebo-controlled trial of a drug intended to help women at risk of osteoporosis. It involved daily injections and eventually she dropped out of the trial. (You can see Sarah talking more about her experiences on the healthtalkonline site osteoporosis, Interview 27).
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Organising trials
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Lester - Interview 06
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Drug companies will of course research products in order to make money, but the UK has a good system of regulation. Lester is more worried about wheth
Lester’s son Ellis died in 2001 of variant CJD. Lester later became involved as a lay chair of a trial looking at the effectiveness of a drug called quinacrine for people with variant CJD.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Screening, prevention other medical interventions
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Amanda - Interview 22
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Amanda worries that commercial trials may suppress ‘negative’ findings. Good research is not cheap, and she feels it should be nationally funded, with
Amanda has taken part in a trial of pro-biotic yoghurt for irritable bowel syndrome, and withdrew from a trial about early interventions to prevent diabetes. She is setting up a website for the public to design their own trials.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Screening, prevention other medical interventions
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Amanda - Interview 22
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Amanda was a member of a research ethics committee and was surprised it was not seen as not part of their role to insist on full publication as a cond
Amanda has taken part in a trial of pro-biotic yoghurt for irritable bowel syndrome, and withdrew from a trial about early interventions to prevent diabetes. She is setting up a website for the public to design their own trials.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Long term conditions
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Kate - Interview 13
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Kate’s charity worked on a study with a drug company, and they found it really difficult to get the results published. She felt the reviewers were pre
Kate and her husband took part in a trial comparing injections of grass pollen antigen against a placebo as a way to reduce hay fever. Kate was in the experimental group and her husband in the placebo group.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Organising trials
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Lester - Interview 06
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It takes a long time for most trial results to be published. Sometimes when results seem disappointing, researchers may want to carry on, hoping a tre
Lester’s son Ellis died in 2001 of variant CJD. Lester later became involved as a lay chair of a trial looking at the effectiveness of a drug called quinacrine for people with variant CJD.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Long term conditions
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Danny - Interview 26
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When Danny’s blood pressure was monitored during the trial, one doctor would never tell her the measurements. She felt she had a right to know and was
Danny joined a trial of high blood pressure medication, but stopped because of side effects. She has concerns about the way some staff communicated with her and a lack of rapport and respect for her as a volunteer interested in her own health.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Screening, prevention other medical interventions
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Caroline - Interview 08
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Caroline felt the researchers were only interested in certain questions which weren’t really about her experience. The questionnaire was long and repe
Caroline’s first baby was born by emergency caesarean. In her next pregnancy she took part in a trial comparing different types of information and decision aids about birth choices for women after a previous caesarean. She chose to attempt a natural birth.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Cancer drugs and radiotherapy - randomised trials
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Celia - Interview 12
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Her GP asked her permission to send monitoring information about her to the trial staff. She has no more direct contact with the trial, but hopes she’
Celia took part in a randomised controlled trial comparing different periods of radiotherapy for lymphoma. She was would have preferred the shorter course; she was allocated to the longer course but took part anyway.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Cancer drugs and radiotherapy - randomised trials
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Jayne - Interview 03
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Unless you have strong feelings about which trial group you would want to be in, Jayne advises people to take part. She is confident in the system of
Jayne had breast cancer aged 33. She wanted to join a clinical trial but her consultant was not interested, so she transferred to another hospital and took part in a trial comparing tamoxifen with tamoxifen plus goserelin (Zoladex).
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Long term conditions
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Kate - Interview 13
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Kate liked the fact that the research nurse tailored the information he gave to each individual participant during the trial.
Kate and her husband took part in a trial comparing injections of grass pollen antigen against a placebo as a way to reduce hay fever. Kate was in the experimental group and her husband in the placebo group.
Medical research
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Clinical Trials
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Communication between different health professionals
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Communication between different health professionals
Communication between different health professionals
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