Risks and Benefits

Taking part in research is entirely voluntary; something you can choose to do if you want to. For this reason it is very important that you are aware of any risks or benefits involved so that you are able to make this decision.

Benefit

Researchers are not allowed to promise you health benefits which they can't guarantee. They might believe that a new treatment they are testing will be better than the existing treatment, but they can only tell you that you may benefit.

The biggest benefit of medical research is often not directly to you, but is the increase in medical knowledge which benefits future patients. If you are currently receiving treatment it is likely that you are benefiting from research which has been carried out on patients in the past.

While you are on a study, your general health may be monitored closely by the researchers. You may find this extra monitoring reassuring.

Risks

Every research study is different. Some may involve simply filling in a questionnaire or being interviewed. In this case there is no added risk to your health from taking part.

Clinical trials are studies where new treatments and medicines are tested and these may involve risks. This doesn't mean they are dangerous as they have to be carried out under very strict rules. This treatment could turn out to be very beneficial to you, but there is always a chance that it could cause side effects or not work as well as another treatment.

Weighing it up

Any medical treatment carries at least a small element of risk, even taking an aspirin if you have headache. The reason that researchers have to emphasise risks is because research is voluntary and it would be wrong if you volunteered without being clearly aware of the possibility, however small, that things could go wrong.

For this reason take time to consider your feelings about any risks and benefits of taking part in the study before agreeing to go ahead.

This page was last modified on Wed Apr 11 2012