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THE CURE DEPENDS ON YOU!

It’s true. A Clinical trial is a way you can help medical science discover innovative new cures. Only through clinical trials can new treatments be tested, which may be the cures for many of life’s most deadly diseases.

At Springfield Clinic, there are always a variety of clinical trials underway in a wide range of subjects. If you would like to know more about what research opportunities are currently available or if you are considering becoming a participant, detailed information about all of our clinical trials can be found on the Studies page.

We also wish to recognize the physicians and medical professionals at Springfield Clinic who participate in our studies. To learn more about them, or just to see a friendly face, check out our list of Participating Providers and Our Staff.

If you would like to know more, or if you are interested in becoming a participant in one of our studies, please call the Clinical Research Department at 217.528.7541 x14434. We thank you for your interest and support.

FAQs

What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial is a scientific study that seeks to answer important medical questions about a new investigational treatment:

To see if it relieves symptoms
To see if it improves a person’s health
To see if it works better than other alternative treatments
To see if it is safe and effective

Clinical trials enable patients around the world to benefit from the earliest possible access to cutting edge medicines and technologies. In some clinical trials, a new drug or treatment is compared with the best-known standard therapy to see if it more effective or causes fewer side effects, whereas other studies look to determine whether an existing drug or treatment could be used in a new way. All clinical trials are conducted according to strict rules set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which ensure that people who volunteer to be in the studies are treated as safely as possible.

How are clinical trials done?
Studies are done in four phases. Each phase is conducted to answer different questions. Phase I studies involve testing the treatment on a limited number of healthy people (20-80 people) to determine the treatment’s basic safety. Phase II studies involve testing the treatment on a small number of affected patients to determine effectiveness and the best starting dose. Phase III studies involve testing the treatment on a large number of affected patients to see if the treatment works as well as the standard or current treatment. These phases generally take many years. Phase IV studies occur after a drug is approved by the FDA and involve post-marketing surveillance and cost-benefit analysis.

What is a placebo?
A placebo is an inactive medication that has no treatment value. In clinical trials, experimental treatments are often compared with placebos to assess the true benefit or harm of the treatment.

What are the benefits of participating in clinical research?
Each study is different, but the benefits of participating may include any of the following:

An opportunity to receive a medical treatment that is not widely available
Access to quality medical care from doctors who specialize in the condition being studies
A chance to advance medical knowledge
The satisfaction of helping others who may be suffering from a chronic, serious or life-threatening illness

What are the risks of participating?
Some treatments that are tested might have known side effects that could be unpleasant, serious or even life-threatening, and some may have unanticipated side effects. Because the treatments being studied are new, doctors don’t always know what the side effects could be. Some side effects are temporary and go away when the treatment is stopped, while others may last longer or, although rare, may be permanent. Some side effects may appear during treatment, while other may not show up until after the treatment is over. The risks of each trial depend on the medical condition and treatment under studied. All known risks will be fully explained to you by the researchers prior to volunteering.

How are participants protected?
The ethical and legal codes that govern medical practice also apply to clinical research. In addition, clinical research is federally regulated with build in safeguards to protect the participants. Clinical trials follow carefully controlled protocols, or study plans, which detail what researchers will do in the study. Individual participant names and the personal health information of the participants will be kept confidential.

What will happen if I agree to take part in a clinical trial?
If your doctor has determined that you qualify to participate in the study and you agree to take part, your doctor will discuss the details of the study with you and answer any questions you might have. Paperwork will be completed to show that you have been informed of all aspects of the study and that you have agreed to participate.

What is informed consent?
To help you decide if you want to be in a study, the FDA requires that you be given complete information about the study before you agree to take part. This is known as informed consent. The FDA require that people be told:

That the study involves research of an unproven drug or device
The purpose of the research
How long the study will take
What will happen in the study and which parts of the study are experimental
Possible risks and/or discomforts
Possible benefits
Alternative treatments that you may want to consider instead of the treatment being studied
That the FDA may look at your study records, but that records will be kept confidential
Whether any medical treatment are available if you are hurt, what those treatments are, and who will pay for the treatment
The person to contact with questions about the study and your rights as a participant
That you have the option to quit at any time

What are the other ways volunteers are protected?

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)
- Scientists, doctors and other people from the local community serve on IRBs to review and monitor their hospital’s or research institution’s medical research involving people. They monitor studies to help make sure that there is the least amount of possible risk to the volunteers and that those risks are reasonable in relation to the expected benefits. IRBs make sure volunteer selection is fair and that informed consent is done correctly.
Data Monitoring Committees
- Data Monitoring Committees consist of a group of experts in the field of medicine which review the information gathered while people participate in clinical trials. These committees are used mainly when one treatment is being compared with another. These committees are particularly important when testing treatment for serious or life-threatening diseases.
FDA Inspections
- The FDA inspects records and various scientists, clinics and other research sites involve in a study. The agency does this to make sure volunteers are being protected and studies are being done correctly. From time to time such inspections are done in response to complaints. Otherwise, they are done at random.

What questions should I ask?
Here are some questions to ask your doctor to help you decide if you want to take part in a clinical trial:

What is the study trying to find out?
What kind of tests and exams will I have to take while I’m in the study?
How much time do these take?
How often does the study require me to go to the doctor or clinic?
Will I be hospitalized? If so, how often and for how long?
What are the costs to me?
Will my health insurance pay for it?
What follow-up will there be?
How long will the study last?
What will happen at the end of the study?
What are my other treatment choices?
How do they compare to the treatment being studied?
What side effects can I expect from the treatment being tested?
How do they compare with side effects of standard treatment?

What will happen once I am in the study?
Once in the study, you will be asked to follow the treatment plan and to attend your scheduled clinic visits. It is very important that you follow the study instructions. Depending on the study, the length of your participation will vary. If you choose, you may leave the study at any time without your usual healthcare being affected.

Do I have to be a Springfield Clinic patient to participate?

No. Any interested individuals that meet the established study criteria may participate.

Why should minorities and women participate in clinical trials?
As we now know, drugs sometimes work differently in men and women of different races. Therefore, the FDA encourages studies to include people from many different groups.

Clinical Research Newsletters

Newsletter	Download
Clinical Research Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 1	CRNewsletterV3-1.pdf
Clinical Research Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 3	CRNewsletterV2-3.pdf
Clinical Research Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 2	CRNewsletterV2-2.pdf
Clinical Research Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 1	CRNewsletterV2-1.pdf
Clinical Research Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 4	CRNewsletterV1-4.pdf
Clinical Research Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 3	CRNewsletterV1-3.pdf
Clinical Research Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 2	CRNewsletterV1-2.pdf
Clinical Research Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 1	CRNewsletterV1-1.pdf

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