Help others help you. Wear a medical alert ID bracelet or necklace engraved with important information for emergency responders and healthcare providers
Medical IDs for Participation in a Clinical Trial
The confidence to participate in clinical trials
Clinical trials help improve the future of medicine by helping researchers discover and develop revolutionary drugs to treat and prevent disease. Clinical trials are so essential to medicine that all new drugs and treatments must pass the clinical trial process in order to gain approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Once approved, these drugs and treatments are released for use by medical professionals and the public. While clinical trials are vital to the world of medicine, the very nature of a trial can pose risks to participants.
This is where a medical IDs for participating in clinical trials can help someone doing this important work.
How MedicAlert protects those participating in a clinical trial
One thing you shouldn’t worry about is what could happen if there’s an emergency. MedicAlert’s protection plans offer benefits that extend beyond the ID, providing safety and peace of mind for people participating in a clinical trial.
24/7 Emergency Response
Our team provides first responders the information they need to provide fast, accurate care.
Digital Health Profile
All your vital information, all in one place for you and your caregiver.
Emergency Contact Notification
In an emergency, we connect families so that no one is alone in a crisis.
Patient Instructions
Share the information that’s important to your care, such as use of rescue medications or contraindication for tests like MRIs.
Pair medical IDs for clinical trial with the protection plan that’s right for you.
What exactly is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial, also called clinical study or clinical investigation, is a research study conducted with patients or healthy volunteers that helps chemists, biologists, and physicians discover and develop drugs to treat and prevent disease. Clinical trials can also evaluate a wide range of current biomedical (e.g., treatment) and behavioral (e.g., exercise and diet) interventions.
A clinical trial quantifies the safety and effectiveness of treatments including drugs, medical devices, or biologics, such as vaccines, blood products, or gene therapy. To accomplish this, new treatments must go through four phases. Each phase has a different purpose, number of participants, and duration.
Phase I trials test if a new treatment is safe and look for the best ways to give the treatment. Phase I trials typically consist of 20 to 100 healthy volunteers or people living with the disease or condition. A phase I trial can last several months to a year and approximately 70% of phase I drugs move to the next phase.
Phase II trials test if the condition or disease responds to the new treatment. Researchers will also closely monitor the patient for side effects. Phase II trials consist of up to several hundred people living with the disease or condition and can last several months to two years. Approximately 33% of phase II drugs move to the next phase.
Phase III trials test if a new treatment is better than a standard treatment. Phase III trials consist of 300 to 3,000 volunteers living with the disease or condition and can last from one to four years. Approximately 25-30% of phase III drugs move to the next phase.
Phase IV trials aim to find more information about long-term benefits and side effects of new treatments. Phase IV trials may include several thousand participants who are living with the disease or condition. Phase IV trials last a minimum of two years. It is important to note that in this phase, a treatment may have already been approved by the FDA.
ClinicalTrials.gov is the world’s largest clinical trials database. Managed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the database lists 419,966 studies as of June 29, 2022. Of these, 133,189 (32%) were being conducted in the U.S., making America the top country for clinical trials and the top country contributing the most clinical trial participants.
Who can participate in a clinical trial?
Each clinical trial has its own rules outlining who can participate. These rules are called eligibility criteria. Eligibility to participate in a clinical trial may be based on age, gender, overall health, type and stage of a disease, or treatment history. In many clinical trials, participants share a common health condition, such as kidney disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. All clinical trial participants must provide informed consent at the start of the study.
What are the benefits of participating in a clinical trial?
Clinical trials have many benefits for researchers and participants. Clinical trials advance scientific knowledge, decreasing the time to market for new treatments, ultimately helping those with the targeted condition. Participants in clinical trials:
- Gain access to new treatments that are not yet publicly available.
- Gain access to support groups and other resources.
- Have the opportunity to play a more active role in their own healthcare.
- Receive expert care and more frequent check-ups at leading medical facilities.
Clinical trial participants also play an important role in helping others get better treatment for their health problems in the future.
What to engrave on MedicAlert medical IDs for clinical trial:
MedicAlert offers free custom engraving on all our medical ID products. Engravings on medical IDs for clinical trial should include any critical medical information that can protect and save lives in an accident or medical emergency, for example:
- Clinical trial participant
- Current medical conditions
- Medications
- Emergency contact information
Sample engraving. Consult our team if you need help engraving your medical ID for clinical trial.
What are the risks of participating in a clinical trial?
Clinical trials are overseen by the FDA and they are closely monitored by an independent panel of qualified doctors, researchers, and members of the community called an “Institutional Review Board (IRB).” The IRB ensures that the safety, rights, and welfare of the participants are protected, and the health risks involved are reasonable compared to the possible benefits.
While clinical trials provide tremendous benefits to the medical community, the public, and participants, all studies carry two risks including:
- An adverse reaction to the medication or treatment. Side effects from a new treatment can range from uncomfortable to serious. This is why participants will be closely monitored by doctors.
- Potential disappointment if the studied intervention proves ineffective. There is a possibility that the new treatment won’t work or it may not be better than the standard treatment.
Clinical trial participants may be uncomfortable with a few other issues as well. The National Institute on Aging states that a clinical trial participant may NOT be part of the treatment group (or experimental group) that gets the new treatment—for example, a new drug or device. Instead, you may be part of the control group, which means you get the standard treatment or a no-treatment placebo.
The clinical trial could also inconvenience you. For example, medical appointments could take a lot of time. You might need to travel to the study site several times or stay in the hospital.
How should you manage your participation in a clinical trial?
Clinical trials follow strict plans called protocols, which must be followed by all participants.
Clinical trial protocols include dates and times, dosages, and noting behavioral changes. Failure to follow clinical trial protocols precisely could invalidate the study’s findings. Not following protocols could also lead to serious side effects. This is why you should wear a MedicAlert medical ID for clinical trials.
If you are in an accident or other medical emergency and are unresponsive, a MedicAlert ID and protection plan can be your voice. A MedicAlert ID and protection plan lets emergency responders know you are participating in a clinical trial, so certain protocols can be adhered to for your safety. A MedicAlert ID and protection plan can even help streamline the check-in process for hospital visits related to the clinical trial and your regular doctor visits.
How medical IDs for clinical trial combined with MedicAlert Membership provide peace of mind
If you are participating in a clinical trial, a MedicAlert medical ID can speak for you if you are in an accident and become unresponsive. A MedicAlert medical ID can let first responders and ER doctors, know that you are participating in a clinical trial.
Your MedicAlert medical ID will include emergency contact information for the clinical trial, ensuring that first responders will have the guidance they need to avoid drug interactions and other medical issues. This can help your emergency response team create the safest and most effective emergency treatment plan for you. Add a MedicAlert protection plan and your MedicAlert medical ID becomes even more valuable.
- We’re your voice: If you can’t speak for yourself due to a medical emergency, your ID will speak for you – informing others about your participation in a clinical trial and any medications you’re taking.
- 24/7 emergency protection: In an emergency, the MedicAlert team will relay all of your critical medical information to first responders, no matter where or when your emergency happens.
- Always connected: You should never be alone in an emergency. That’s why MedicAlert will reach out to your designated contacts if you are unable to do so.
- Live with peace of mind and confidence: MedicAlert will be there for you every step of the way. You’ll have the confidence and freedom to safely participate in a clinical trial, knowing we’ve got you covered.
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov; Mayfield Brain & Spine; Meridian Clinical Research; National Cancer Institute; National Institute on Aging; National Institutes of Health (NIH); National Kidney Foundation; National Library of Medicine (NLM); University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
