Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. If you are considering joining a study, get answers to your questions and know your options before you decide. The NIH Clinical Research Trials and You website is a resource for people who want to learn more about clinical trials. It includes a list of what questions to ask if offered a clinical trial and can help you get information from the research staff to decide if you will join a study. You may also want to talk with your doctor and family or friends about deciding to join a study.

Medical research at Jackson Heart Clinic may involve:

  • Allowing research staff to access and report data of interest from your medical records
  • Agreeing to participate in a study to determine if one medication works better than another
  • Allowing your blood to be drawn for analysis and reporting to study sponsor
  • Agreeing to answer questionnaires about your health
  • Agreeing to be involved with a study for a new device or method to treat your cardiovascular disease

If you volunteer, you may:

  • Help researchers explore more about your cardiovascular disease and treatment
  • Help other people in the future who may become sick
  • Help researchers determine the best and safest treatment options
  • Help to improve how Jackson Heart Clinic provides medical care

Is research safe:

Research studies involving a new medication or device could be safe or harmful and they could work or fail. The purpose of the research study is to help determine if the product is safe and effective. No one can know for sure how the research study will affect you or your medical condition. Your research team will discuss with you in detail the risks associated with your participation and answer any questions that you may have.
Remember, you can always say no. You should not decide to be in a research study just because your doctor told you about it. Saying no won’t hurt your relationship with your doctors or affect your health care at Jackson Heart Clinic.

If Jackson Heart Clinic asks you to be in a study:

  • You will be given an informed consent form to review and sign.
  • Your study team will go over all risks associated with your participation.
  • Your study team will review your responsibilities for the duration of the study and include your follow up schedule expectation.
  • You will have time to make your decision. We encourage you to discuss your options with your study team, primary care doctor, and family.

If participation in clinical trials is something you would like to consider please visit our current enrolling studies or our Patient Registry.