How will my doctor be involved before, during, and after a clinical trial?

In most cases, you will continue to see your primary care doctor while participating in a clinical trial. Most trials provide short-term treatment for specific illnesses or conditions, but do not provide long-term care. Be sure to keep your doctor updated about your participation in a clinical trial as certain medications or treatments may interfere with the treatment you receive during the trial.

During the clinical trial, the research team may include doctors, nurses, social workers, and other health providers. You may have more exams and tests than usual. You may also need to stop or change your current medications as well as your diet. Always discuss any changes with your primary care doctor first. You can ask the research team to share test results and other information with your personal doctor.

After the clinical trial phase is over, the research team will review the results for all patients in the trial. If the results show that the treatment worked, the trial will continue to the next phase. You may or may not join.

When you are completely done with the study, the trial doctors and other healthcare providers will be in touch with your personal doctor. They will tell them about your health status and start to transition you back into their full-time care.