Felicia Fuller

In my last post I discussed issues and reasons why people choose not to participate in clinical trials.  This week, I’m looking at the flipside, reasons people do choose to participate in trials

1. They were asked to. There are many people who would like the opportunity to participate but they are never asked and may assume they are ineligible.  More people will participate if they are presented with the opportunity to do so.
2. Access to the latest treatment.  People will join a trial to gain access to something they see as being on the cutting edge of treatment.
3. Help find a cure. This is one of the main reasons people choose to join a trial; they want to find a cure to whatever it is that ails them.
4. Find better medications.  In some cases people hope that participation in a trial will result in treatment with a medication that is better than the one they were taking before entering the trial.
5. Help others.  People will join to contribute to clinical research so that others will not have to suffer as they have.
6. Help themselves.  In a number of ways, people will join to help themselves, whether it’s through improved health, access to treatment, or any of the other number of reasons listed here.
7. Live longer.  Many people, particularly those with terminal conditions, may see a trial as an opportunity to extend their life.
8. Hope.  This is surely one of the top reasons people will choose to participate in a trial.  There is a chance that the new medication, therapy, or whatever is being tested, will be better than the current situation and may help lead to a cure.
9. Find answers.  We as humans are naturally curious and so we want to know as much as possible about ourselves.  Trials may be seen as an opportunity to learn as much as possible about what ails us as well as why certain treatments are undertaken.
10. Further knowledge of disease/condition. People will join a trial if they believe that doing so will increase what we know about the underlying condition be studied. 
11. Feel like it is their only option.  Some individuals will choose to take part because they feel as though they have exhausted every other option available to them.
12. Help predict future diseases.  Some hope that trials may enable us in the future to predict which individuals may get a particular disease.
13. See if they have other conditions.  People may be interested in learning if they have any other illnesses and will participate because they will have to get an exam to determine eligibility.
14. Money.  This one can certainly be a very sticky subject for those running clinical trials, but it cannot be denied that people will join clinical trials for a financial benefit.
15. Lower cost/free medication.  Cost can certainly be a major motivating factor behind choosing to participate in a clinical trial.  People will join so they can receive study medicines at low/no cost and won’t have to pay the higher cost of their current drug or drugs.
16. Be more active in their own care.  Some will participate if only because they feel that doing so gives them a more active role in their own care.