Benefits & Risks

Before participating in a clinical trial or research study, make sure you know your rights and visit our FAQs section.

Benefits of Participating in a Trial: 

Choosing to volunteer for a clinical trial is an important personal decision. There are many reasons to participate in a clinical trial, which may include:

• Being a part of finding new treatments to improve health and diagnose or prevent disease
• Contributing to the understanding of diseases that affect people
• Playing a critical role in the development of new therapies and medicine
• Learning more about your own medical condition
• Meeting people with similar medical conditions
• Receiving compensation for your time and travel, and/or receiving an investigational drug and laboratory services, at no cost to you (compensation varies by study)

Risks of Participating in a Trial: 

There is always a certain level of risk involved with research studies. However, participant safety is our top priority at KCUMB. Our dedicated staff has more than 50 years combined research experience, and is nationally accredited.

Below are some study-specific questions that you should ask before enrolling:

• Why is the research being done?
• What will be done to me as part of the research?
• How will I benefit from the research?
• Could the research hurt me?
• What will the researcher do with my information?
• Will the research cost me anything?
• Who pays if I’m unexpectedly injured in the study?
• How long will the study last?
• What happens if I decide to leave the study early?
• Who should I call if I have a question about the research?