Pros and Cons of Clinical Research

Pros

• You may get promising new treatment methods that you can’t get outside clinical research.
• The new method may have less side effects than the usual care.
• You may be the first to benefit from the new method.
• You are helping others with the same disease, both now and in the future.
• You play an active role in your own health care.

Cons

• New drugs or methods are not always better than the normal treatment.
• New methods may have side effects or risks that doctors do not expect or are worse than those from the normal treatment.
• If you are in a randomized study you will not be able to choose the treatment you receive.
• Your health insurance may not cover all costs.
• You may need to make more visits to the hospital or clinic.
• Even if a new treatment has benefits, it may not work for you.