Navigating the ClinicalTrials.gov website
Researching and understanding clinical trial information can be daunting. With so many different sources of information and language that can be difficult to understand, trying to find a clinical trial that is right for you can be overwhelming. While ClinicalTrials.gov is the most comprehensive database for clinical trials, it is written for healthcare professionals and can be difficult to navigate. But don’t worry, there are several best practices that can help.
Through ClinicalTrials.gov, you can search for clinical trials by disease type, treatments you’ve already had, the treatment that is being studied, and other important criteria that helps to narrow the results to those most relevant to you. In addition to providing a summary of the study, the results returned will list the key criteria for each study that would make someone eligible (or ineligible) to participate. Some of these criteria will be easy to understand, such as your age, your disease status, and prior treatments you have received. Other criteria may be more confusing and specific to the drug or treatment being studied. It’s okay if you don’t know all of the information listed.
The more information you include in your search, the more likely that the results will be relevant to you. The standard search allows you to input your disease type, treatment and location. Clicking on the information "i" icon displays a user-friendly explanation of any of the search parameters. You can also choose between search "all studies" or "recruiting and not yet recruiting studies". If you choose the second option, you will find trials that you may be able to join now. However, if you expand the "More Filters" option, you are able to search on much more detailed criteria, such as sex and age of participants, study phase, study type, whether the study lists results, who is running the study and more. After your search results are displayed you will have the option to use additional filters to further narrow your search results.
Because the information provided through ClinicalTrials.gov is not created for patients, the information can be difficult to understand. While the search results provided by ClinicalTrials.gov are a great starting point for your research and your ongoing discussions with trusted medical professionals, don’t worry if you don’t understand all of the information provided. The study listings will also provide contact information for the medical institutions that are conducting the studies. The most common contact information is for the study coordinator or the study’s primary investigator (the doctor that is conducting the study). It is important to remember that you do not need a referral from your doctor to join a clinical trial. You can call the medical team that is conducting the study directly to ask questions and get more information.
Advocacy groups are wonderful sources for clinical trial information. In addition to listing available clinical trials specific to your disease, many advocacy groups employ patient navigators. These Patient Navigators will work with you, one-on-one, to help you find clinical trials that are specific to your condition, prior treatments, and current status. Patient navigators are often nurses or other credentialed medical professionals who are there to help you understand all of your treatment options, including clinical trials. They are also good sources of support to help you understand any information you find through your own research, such as through ClinicalTrials.gov or Labcorp Clinical Trials. Advocacy groups also offer patient communities and other ways to connect directly with other patients.