Patients

New to Clinical Research?

Entering a clinical trial can be intimidating. You might not know enough about what a clinical trial does or why clinical trials are conducted. Thankfully, California Research Institute is available to provide information to you about clinical trials.

One of the first things you should know about clinical trials is that they are are done voluntarily and do not affect the type of care you will receive from your treating physician. This is explained to you on a document called the Informed Consent Form (also referred to as an ICF). During your first clinical trial visit you will be given an Informed Consent Form which will explain what the purpose of the study is. The Informed Consent Form will also inform you about the length of the study, what will be asked from you throughout the study, list any possible side effects from the study drug that are, and many other facts about the study. It is important that you understand that an Informed Consent Form is not a legal contract and you may choose to leave the study at any point without any form of repercussions.

On your first visit, other forms that you may be given on your first visit may include the California Bill of Rights, HIPAA disclosures, and release of medical information forms. These forms are designed to protect you as a participant and your privacy.

Once you looked over the Informed Consent Form and you understand the purpose of the study, you will be screened further to confirm that you meet the study criteria. If you meet the study criteria you may be asked to complete the remaining procedures for the screening visit. Because each study is different, it may take days or weeks before your next visit to the clinic occurs.

If you have any questions about any of the studies that California Research Institute is currently conducting, please fill out the form below and we will respond to you as soon as possible. Everyone at California Research Institute hopes to hear from you!