Mesothelioma Law

Here is a list of the most Frequently Asked Questions about the clinical trial process for mesothelioma and other diseases.

What is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a research study done with human volunteers in order to answer specific questions. Clinical trials are scientific experiments done to try and better be able to recognize, diagnose, treat and prevent diseases. Though there are different types of clinical trials that each seek to accomplish different tasks, all clinical trials are experiments aimed at helping humanity by providing new ideas and insights into disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Who participates in a clinical trial?

Every clinical trial has guidelines as to who can participate in the study. Doctors use inclusion/exclusion criteria to determine who is eligible to participate in each clinical trial. In order to participate in a clinical trial, a patient must meet all the inclusion criteria and not have any conflicts with the exclusion criteria. Doctors use these guidelines to ensure safety within each clinical trial. Each trial is a specific study into one tiny aspect of medicine and the participants in the study must all meet certain requirements so as to ensure the validity of the experiment. Doctors do not exclude people from clinical trials for personal reasons but rather in consideration of the health of the patient.

What are the benefits and risks involved with clinical trials?

Benefits

• Participants in clinical trials are exposed to new medicines and treatments not yet available to the general public.
• Participants receive close medical attention from doctors and nurses at some of the leading medical facilities around the world.
• Patients in a clinical trial get to play an active role in their own health and well being while also helping others in the community.

Risks

• New treatments or drugs may have severe adverse side effects that the doctors and specialists are unaware about.
• The new treatment or drug being tested in the clinical trial may not be better or more effective than the standard drug or procedure on the general market.
• The clinical trial may require more time and doctor visits than would be involved with the standard treatment.
• Health insurance and medical providers do not always cover the full costs of clinical trials, which can be very expensive.

Who pays for the patient costs involved with a clinical trial?

This varies by company and plan so it is best to check with your own health care provider to find out for sure. Often the patient care costs that come with a clinical trial are not covered. It may depend on how the clinical trial is set up and whether or not it is an ‘experimental’ trial or an ‘investigational’ trial. Often it depends on whether the treatment or drug has been proven safe and effective as to whether a health plan will pay for some or all of the costs. Circumstances for everyone are different so it is best to check with your own health care provider to see what your plan entails.