Thoughts from a Lab Rat

I know many people do it. What am I talking about? Plan B. It’s tough to get into a study sometimes and with the possibility of cancellations, postponements and just not getting into a study, it only seems right to have a backup plan. While it may seem like good intentions, it can backfire.
Let’s say that you signed up to screen for Study A on the 1st and it checks in on the 14th. You then sign up for Study B which screens on the 3rd and checks in on the 18th. So, if for whatever reason you don’t get into Study A, then you could still get into Study B. Sounds simple, right? Wrong! So let’s assume that you pass the screening for both studies so you check into Study A. You make it in. So when Study B calls to confirm check in, you of course have to decline. While yes, you can withdraw your consent at anytime, a clinic may penalize you on future studies. Some clinics will temporarily ban you from doing studies while others will do nothing. It’s not so bad when you cancel a study before the screening as the clinic hasn’t spent but a few dollars but if you cancel once you have screened, the clinic has spent on average $450 to screen you. This is of course part of running a study but if the clinic has too many qualified people canceling at the last minute, then it eats into the bottom line and of course clinics are businesses (there to make money) so they will make adjustments to their policies to curve the problems. Furthermore, if too many people cancel out of a study and the clinic can’t screen enough people to replace those in time; the study can be postponed or cancelled. So the problems you’re trying to avoid can lead to the same problems for your fellow volunteers.
Okay, so is it bad to have a backup? Yes and no. If you cancel a study for a legitimate reason such as a death in the family, family emergency, then no, that’s life. But if you have a pattern of constantly signing up and canceling studies, then clinics are going to notice and may crack down.