There are many risks and benefits that should be considered before entering into a clinical trial.
Benefits:
- The subject could gain access to drugs and regimens that are not yet on the market; which could be very beneficial to the treatment of their disease/illness.
- There is a lot of support given to the subject during a trial, and they would be given treatment under the supervision of expert medical professionals.
- The subject would have the satisfaction of playing an active role in their own health care.
- The drugs or regimens which are under study could be much more effective in treatment then the ones already available to the public.
- The subject could play an active role in helping others. When completing a clinical trial, no matter the outcome, it could be taking steps to finding a cure.
Risks:
- While a treatment might work for some individuals, it might not for others.
- It isn’t always certain that health insurance would cover the cost of the clinical trial, this could result in the subject having to pay a great deal of money for a treatment which might not work.
- As the effects of some treatments aren’t entirely known, some could result in unpleasant and some times even life threatening side effects.
- There could be a lot of time spent traveling or in a care facility whilst the subject is undertaking a clinical trial.
- It’s beneficial to research who is doing the clinical trial, as not all studies are completely objective.
Whether the risks out weigh the benefits, or visa versa, clinical trials have always played a very important role in the evolution of health care. Without them, modern medicine, wouldn’t be what it is today, and a lot of deadly diseases would still plague our society.