What You Should Know Before Joining a Research Study
Deciding to participate in a research study
To help you decide, someone on the research
team will explain details of the study to you and address your questions and concerns.
We will give you an informed consent document
that describes important facts about the study.
We encourage you to consider the informed
consent thoughtfully. You may want to discuss
it with family and friends, your doctor, or with
other people you trust.
Before you sign the informed consent document
to join a study, you should take as much time as
you want to think about your decision. Ask us questions if there is anything you don’t understand.
Before joining a research study, you should know you have the right to:
Choose whether or not to participate. No one else can make that choice for you.
Understand what the research is about before you agree to participate.
Change your mind at any time during the
research study. You may leave the study for
any reason.
Research participants are highly protected
Medical research has built into it many layers of protection for you as a research participant. We must ask you or your legal representative if you agree to participate before we enroll you in a research study.
Health care professionals have a code of ethics they follow while taking care of you. Medical researchers must also follow codes of ethics for medical research involving humans. There are laws, regulations and standards that have been developed over the decades to protect the rights of research participants.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) protects your safety and rights before and while you take part in a study. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) also have laws that regulate how we protect participants in research.
Some questions to ask before joining a research study
What is the purpose of this study, and what
questions will it answer?
What procedures and tests will be done?
What are the expected benefits of the
treatment or procedure?
What are the expected risks and inconveniences?
What are the alternatives?
How will my privacy be protected?
What is expected of me?
How often will I need to come to the clinic?
What kind of support from my family
and friends will I need?
Who will pay for my medical care while I am
taking part in this study?
What will happen if I am injured as a result
of the study?
What are the costs to me and will I be reimbursed
for my expenses?
Will I receive compensation for participating
in the study?
What will happen if I decide to leave the
study early?
What will happen if the researchers decide
to end the study early?
For other questions, please call us at 713-500-7942.
