Have you ever wondered what our research side of the business does here at ForCare? Though all of our patients are equally important, the work we do in research ensures future treatment options for everyone. These new possibilities would never make it to the public without the work of volunteers participating in research studies. Why are volunteers needed for research? To answer that, we have to start from the beginning.
The Human Body
New interventions and therapies are discovered every day. They have the possibility of working as good, better or having fewer side effects than current options. These options never go straight to the pharmacy, where our providers can prescribe them. Before making it to the public, they are first tested in a lab in every possible scenario to make sure they are safe and effective. Only then will they move on to human trials.
So why humans? The answer is simple. Though every possible precaution and scenario is run in the pre-clinical lab work, the only way to see how a new therapy works for humans is to put it in the human body. This pre-clinical work also ensures the utmost safety of those who volunteer and the FDA-run guidelines for each trial.
What Types of Volunteers are Needed?
Every trial has specific criteria for which volunteers are the best fit. With hundreds of thousands of clinical trials going on at any given time worldwide, that is a massive, diverse pool of volunteers needed. Most clinical trials need those diagnosed with the specific condition the trial is helping, but healthy volunteers are required in the process as well. They help set a baseline and comparison information through the course of the trial.
Aside from health status, different races, genders, ethnicities, ages, and lifestyles are necessary to get the most accurate and complete clinical data.
Join the Fight
The most important thing to remember is participating in clinical research may not be right for everyone. However, if you are ready to join the fight to improve the detection, prevention, and management of different medical conditions, we would love to talk with you. To learn more about volunteering with us here at ForCare, our research team would love to answer any questions. Please call us at (813) 264-2155, or find more information at volunteering here.
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