Endeavor Health is committed to driving advancements in health and wellbeing with clinical research led by physicians you know and trust. We conduct over 550 active clinical trials for some of healthcare’s greatest challenges, right in your local Chicagoland communities. We are always seeking participants for a wide range of clinical trials.
Understanding clinical trials
Researchers perform clinical trials to help find new and better ways to understand, prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and conditions.
In a clinical trial, participants help researchers evaluate a specific treatment or intervention, such as medications or medical devices, medical procedures, or targeted behavioral changes, such as a new diet or exercise routine.
Before a treatment or intervention is introduced to a clinical trial, it is thoroughly studied in the lab setting. Once the most promising treatments and interventions are moved into clinical trials, clinical trials occur in four phases:
- Phase I - A treatment or intervention is given to 20-100 participants to learn about the safety, ideal dosage and potential side effects.
- Phase II - A treatment or intervention is given to 100-300 participants to evaluate its effectiveness and further examine its safety.
- Phase III - A treatment or intervention is given to 1,000-3,000 participants to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare with standard and similar treatments or a placebo, and gather more data that will allow the new treatment or intervention to be used safely.
- Phase IV - After approval from the FDA, the treatment or intervention is made available to the public, with its safety, effectiveness, benefits and long-term effects continuously tracked by researchers.
Getting involved in clinical research is one of the most powerful ways you can help contribute to new medical advancements. Endeavor Health is always seeking volunteers, including those with a specific disease or condition and healthy individuals.
The more participants involved in research and the more diversity among participants, the better and more useful the data obtained will be to help improve as many lives as possible.
People volunteer for clinical trials for many reasons. Some benefits of volunteering include:
- Access to new and innovative treatments - You could receive treatments that are not otherwise available, including for serious or challenging diseases.
- Help doctors and researchers advance science and improve healthcare - Your participation helps our researchers better understand how to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases, potentially leading to medical breakthroughs.
Participation in a clinical trial takes places five steps:
- Prescreening: Researchers will discuss the clinical trial with you in detail, answer all of your questions, and gather additional information about your health.
- Informed consent: Once you have a clear, in-depth understanding of the clinical trial, you may be asked to sign an informed consent form that explains the trial in detail and confirms your agreement to enroll.
- Screening visit: After you have consented to participate in a clinical trial, you may be asked to complete testing or additional screening, such as a blood test or survey to ensure you qualify for the trial.
- Enrollment and participation: Once you’re enrolled, the research team will review with you all protocols of the clinical trial along with scheduling. Participating in a clinical trial is completely voluntary, meaning that you can change your mind and decide to stop or leave at any time.
- Completion: When your participation in the trial has finished, your research team will spend time analyzing data and may reach out when they’ve determined results.
Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) oversee all clinical trials at Endeavor Health to help ensure safety and protect participants’ rights and welfare before and during the clinical trial. An IRB reviews research trials to make sure that they comply with regulations, ethical standards, and institutional policies.
Our participants are also protected by informed consent, in which the research team reviews all details of the clinical trial to provide full transparency and understanding before participants agree to enroll. An informed consent form lists all details of the trial, including the purpose, duration, required protocol, potential risks, and how to contact us with questions or issues.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Participating in clinical research is a personal decision, and we are here to answer all of your questions.
A clinical trial researches the safety and effectiveness of a specific treatment or intervention to help better understand, prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and conditions. Clinical trials are crucial for creating a healthier future because they have served as the foundation for most medical advances throughout history. Without clinical trials, many treatments, therapies, procedures, cures, and other important medical interventions that we have today wouldn’t exist.
We work diligently to help ensure safe and ethical research at Endeavor Health. Findings from clinical trials have led to major improvements in the health of people all over the world, which was only possible because of the contributions made by research participants.
Prospective clinical trial volunteers are encouraged to gather all information, ask your research team questions, and weigh both the benefits and potential risks of the clinical trial before making a decision. We also suggest you talk with your doctor to help you decide if a clinical trial is right for you.
While there are potential benefits to participating in a clinical trial, there is no guarantee or way to predict how a clinical trial would affect you individually. As a result of your participation, you could notice positive, negative, or no changes to your health. However, your participation could lead to medical discoveries down the line, even if you don’t personally benefit from the clinical trial.
Occasionally, some research procedures could lead to discomfort or side effects. Your research team will walk you through any known or potential risks before you consent to participating. If any new risks or side effects are discovered during the clinical trial, your research team will discuss those with you.
All of our clinical trials are evaluated and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB), which is an independent committee of people such as physicians, scientists, non-scientists, and individuals in the local community who help ensure that the research is both ethical and safe.
Your medical and research records will be kept confidential. Only authorized individuals involved with your clinical trial will have access to your records. Because clinical research is federally regulated, all of your personal information is protected.
Insurance coverage for clinical research varies by provider, plan, and the type of clinical trial. Contact your insurance company to verify your coverage.
Participating in a clinical trial is completely voluntary, meaning that you can change your mind and decide to stop or leave at any time.
HHS.gov and FDA.gov provide informational videos and resources about participating in a clinical trial.
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