Recognizing the Gift of Participation

Behind every medicine and treatment are people who gave the gift of participation in clinical trials. Without people to volunteer for clinical trials, the world would be a far different place. New diseases would flourish. Well-known diseases—many of which are managed today with medication and lifestyle changes—would instead cripple, disfigure or kill. Flu epidemics would rage unchecked. Many adults and children stricken with cancer would be buried or facing the end of life as opposed to fighting the disease and living longer and productive lives.

Doctors would have no scientific basis for advising patients to lower their blood pressure or cholesterol, for example. Doctors would have no knowledge helping them determine what medication, diet, or exercise plan to prescribe.

Without the gift of participation in clinical trials, medicine and public health would be reduced to folklore.

Around the world, people are living longer, healthier, and happier lives because people they never met volunteered for clinical trials. Volunteers help researchers explore a promising lead for targeting the cause of illness; for relieving the symptoms of disease; for improving the human condition. Even when researchers find that they are pursuing false leads, study participants play an important role because their experiences redirect researchers to better paths. The gift of participation helps researchers and doctors learn about what works and what doesn’t work in treating illnesses and conditions.

The impact of clinical trial participation is both immediate and ongoing as it continues long after participation has ended, and researchers and medical professionals build on the knowledge gained from that clinical trial. There are innumerous examples of the profound impact that the gift of participation contributes to public health. Here are several well-known examples that capture the enormous value of information and knowledge that comes from volunteers in clinical trials.

For more information on clinical trials and making informed decisions about volunteering for clinical research, read “The Gift of Participation” by Ken Getz, Founder and Board Chair, CISCRP.