What's it like to be a patient in a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are the gold standard method of testing the effectiveness of an intervention. When done well (ie randomised, crossed over, blinded, with sufficient power, and appropriate outcome measures) they can provide a very solid basis for evidence based practice.

But what's it like to be a patient in a trial?
- not knowing whether you're taking the drug or the sugar pill?
- what questions should a patient ask a trial co-ordinator before they consent?
- what if you're consenting for your child to take part?

HealthTalkOnline.org (www.healthtalkonline.org/) provides an insight. It "lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. This information is based on qualitative research into patient experiences led by experts at the University of Oxford"

Read about or listen to patients experience of biobanking and participating in clinical trials.
What about the patient perspective of share decision making?
Learn about the patient perspective and experience on a range of other conditions.

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