People who commit to clinical trials are the foundation that helps researchers develop new therapies; therapies that go on to change lives for an ever increasing amount of people. Surveys of Canadians in Ontario and BC have found that around 60% of people had a good opinion of clinical trials. Understandably, there is some concern in the minds of the public. So why do people participate?
In the same 2018 survey it was found that respondents had mixed reasons for joining a trial, and that helping others was a big one.
- 78% of respondents said that they would join to help advance science, or to help improve the care that other patients can get.
- 67% of respondents said that they wanted help improving their own health.
- 64% said to help improve our healthcare system.
It’s clear that helping others is a large motivator, and these numbers paint a pretty clear picture: we actually care about each other a lot! We can see across social media that today’s medicines are already changing people’s lives.
By joining a clinical trial participants gain access to cutting-edge therapies and specialized study care that could potentially help them with their health. New therapies could possibly treat severe diseases that we weren’t able to treat only 10 or 20 years ago.
Beyond that, their contribution to science is actually more than it might seem. By helping researchers find treatments for severe diseases, participants change the future of society and enable people to live their lives to the fullest. The further ahead you look in the future, the more of an impact their commitment makes.
What do you think? Are clinical trials a good idea? Let us know in the comments below.
