Healthy Volunteers

What is a Healthy Volunteer?

A common misconception around medical research is that clinical trials are only for the sickest of patients. The truth is that clinical trials can be an option worth exploring for someone who is newly diagnosed with an illness as well as someone who feels their current medicine or therapy is not effective. Yet many clinical trials are in need of people with no serious medical issues. These individuals are called ‘healthy volunteers’ and are often good candidates to help with new vaccine development. People who are healthy can also be participants in trials that are looking at better ways to diagnose illness, trials that are assessing genetic risk for developing illness later in life, or trials looking at the impact of lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Worldwide there are thousands of trials seeking healthy volunteers to help advance medical knowledge and know-how. And as with condition-specific research studies, healthy volunteer studies are managed by research professionals, including doctors, with oversight from regulatory bodies to ensure that participants are safe and informed every step of the way.

Why be a Healthy Volunteer?

There are several reasons why a generally healthy person would volunteer as a trial participant. Some volunteers have a passion for advancing science, others may have an interest in helping future generations live healthier lives. Other people may have concern around family history of a particular illness, Alzheimer’s disease as one example. In this scenario, someone may seek out a trial for the opportunity to understand their own risk or to feel as if they are “doing something” to expand collective knowledge around diagnosing and treating the illness. There are many benefits that go with this healthy trial participation. Often times compensation for time will be provided, though this differs from study to study. Another benefit may be personal appreciation for increased access to healthcare services. Some individuals enjoy interactions with clinical team members. Others may feel empowered by learning more about themselves from the assessments and monitoring that is used during a trial.

Advances in trials

Participating in clinical research has become easier due to technology advancements and other factors of convenience. For example, telemedicine gained acceptance during COVID and today many trials offer virtual visits and consultations to reduce the need for travel. Along these lines there are now “decentralized” trials which allow participation from a person’s home. Often at-home trials involve the usage of wearable devices and mobile apps to support monitoring and data collection. These innovations help bring research to people who may live in remote areas or lack transportation. This is all critical to bringing more diverse participant populations into research opportunities.

You can get involved

Today it is easier than ever to learn about clinical research and possibly find out in real-time if you are a match to a recruiting trial. For healthy volunteers, becoming involved with research can be meaningful. Participants generally report feeling satisfied with the knowledge that their participation is helping further the development of treatment and prevention options. Want to stay informed about trials near you? Register with us today!

RECRUITING TRIALS

References

National Institute on Aging: What are clinical trials and studies - Updated March 22, 2023
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology: Why not? Motivations for entering a volunteer register for clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic - Updated September 14, 2022
National Institute of Mental Health: Clinical Research Trials and You: Questions and Answers - Updated in 2023