WATCH: What you need to know about clinical trials

Medical Research
Clinical health provider sitting with patient talking in open meeting room setting

You may have heard about clinical trials through your own personal research or through a member of your care team. Clinical trials are studies in which people volunteer to test new drugs or devices to help doctors develop new or more effective treatments for chronic or serious diseases. During a recent Facebook Live chat, researchers Michael Crown, CCRP and Ann Marie Chikowski, RN, BSN, CCRC of the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) answered some common questions about eligibility, safety and efficacy of clinical trials including:

  • What type of clinical trials does LIMR offer?
  • What is the time commitment for participating in a clinical trial?
  • Does participating in a clinical trial mean you forego traditional medical treatment?
  • What does ‘inclusion criteria’ or ‘exclusion criteria’ mean in clinical trials terminology?
  • How do you enroll in a clinical trial? Do you need a referral?

Check out the LIMR team’s answers to these questions and more.

To search through clinical trials offered at Main Line Health and the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, visit mainlinehealth.org/clinical-trials.