The First Study
It all starts with the first study. First of all, doing studies is not for everyone. Obviously, people who are squeamish about needles probably should stay away. My biggest recommendation is that you find a short study, less than a week so you can test the waters. By doing a short study, you will be able to see how the process works, how it feels to have 10 to 20 blood draws in a day and how it feels to be secluded from society. If you find that you don’t like how things are going, I do recommend at least finishing the study. A lot of hard work goes into putting a study on and while yes, you do have the right to quit a study at anytime, for any reason, once you have started taking the study drug, the safest thing to do is to finish out the study. If you do ask to be dropped from a study early, the study doctor will typically ask you to stay for at least one night to make sure that the study drugs are not having any adverse side-effects. Again, this is for your safety.
So, what should you expect during your first study? A lot of what happens during the study takes place at the screening. You will usually have ECG’s, vital signs, blood draws and examinations by the study doctor. Depending on the study, there may be additional procedures such has heart monitors, urine collection and position restrictions. All of the study procedures are outlined in the informed consent. Chat with some other people at the screening. Chances are, many of the other people there have done a study or two and can share some of their experiences. It’s usually not as bad as many people think it is. Most people who think being a research subject is dangerous or freaky probably have never done a study before. Of course, the media and film portrayals don’t help. Sure, things do happen but as long as you are truthful while enrolling in a study, you will minimize most risks.
