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Frequently Asked Questions

What are Clinical Trials?

Clinical trials are research studies to determine if a treatment can improve people’s health. A treatment can be a drug, medical device, medical procedure, or a change in a person’s behaviours, such as diet or exercise. People who take part in clinical trials are volunteers. They may also be called “participants” or “subjects”

Will I be paid for taking part in a clinical trial?

As a clinical trial participant, you may be reimbursed for your travel expenses, parking and meals. You will be reimbursed using vouchers at each eligible clinic visit.

How many clinical studies can I do?

For the safety of our participants and the quality of our studies, we have limitations on how often you are able to participate in a clinical trial.

You can only participate in one clinical trail at a time – we don’t know how the different medications might interact with each other. Between each trial, there is a wash out period to ensure that no medication is left in your body before you begin the next trial.

We have patients that have participated in multiple trials over the years, one participant has volunteered for x7 different trials!

Are Clinical Trials safe?

There is always some risk involved when participating in clinical trials. As with any medication (or vaccine), side effects are always a possibility. However, with Aim Research you can be sure you are in safe hands.

You will be monitored every step of the way by a team of dedicated and experienced research staff. All our trials are conducted in compliance with international and Australian regulations and are approved by an independent ethics committee.

What happens during a clinical trial?

Every trial is different, please visit the Participant Journey page for more information.

What is the placebo effect?

Placebos are inactive substances. In clinical trial, a placebo, made to look like an investigational treatment, is sometimes used as a comparator to the actual investigational treatment. The placebo effect is the real, or apparent, improvement in a patient’s condition that results from the patient hoping to see a better outcome. Participants are randomly assigned to receive the investigational treatment or placebo, and blinding is used so that participants do not know which treatments have been assigned to them.

Do I have to pay anything to participate?

As a participant on a study you do not have to pay to participate.

All of our studies have an individual reimbursement amount that covers your time and travel/parking expense.

Can I stop participating at any time?

Yes, clinical trial participants have the right to change their minds at any time even after they have started the clinical trial or at any time during the trial. It is important to contact the clinical trial site and inform the research team of a decision to stop participating to make sure steps are taken to transition a participant back to their previous care safely.

Pro's and Con's of Participating in Clinical Trials

There are a number of advantages of participating in clinical trials and research projects. These may include:

  • You may feel that by participating in research you can contribute towards finding a cause, treatment or cure for this disease.
  • You play a more active role in your own health care.
  • Potentially finding a drug that might prove to be of some help to the broader community.
  • Experiencing improvements while participating in research, even if taking a placebo.
  • Regular access to a team dedicated health professionals.

It is important to also note that there may also be disadvantages to participating in a clinical trial or research project, including:

  • Considerable time commitment requirements. Although studies vary in the amount of time involved, many studies require that the person be available for several visits, which may not be convenient.
  • Very stringent criteria regarding the types of participants that are eligible.
  • Not knowing whether you are taking the real drug or a placebo, which can be frustrating for some participants.
  • Patients may experience side effects.
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Frequently asked questions

I'd like to join a trial!

As a participant at Aim Research, you will experience compassionate care, individualised attention, and the opportunity to contribute to advancements in healthcare. Click Here to Join a Trial!

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