Patients' Reasons for Participation in Clinical Trials and Effect of Trial Participation on Patient Outcomes

This report is an evidence-based supplement to ECRI’s Patient Reference Guide for Adults with a Serious or Life-Threatening Illness: Should I Enter a Clinical Trial?

Patients may have several questions and concerns as they consider enrolling in a clinical trial. The patient reference guide is an educational resource that explains concepts and terms that may be unfamiliar to patients, such as the phases of trials, weighing risks and benefits of trial participation, randomization, placebo controls, and double-blinding. In addition, it contains practical resources designed to assist patients with the decision of whether to participate (such as a list of questions to ask a physician). Furthermore, the guide informs patients of key issues that affect patients entering trials, such as...