Understanding Clinical Trials

Clinical trials can feel unfamiliar at first. Reflections is here to help you understand how they work: why they matter, and where to begin, with clear information, practical resources, and stories rooted in real community experiences.

The Reflections Collective works to make clinical research more inclusive, accessible, and grounded in trust. This page is one place to start learning, ask questions, and explore what participation can mean for you or someone you care about.

What are Clinical Trials?

Clinical trials are research studies that help doctors and scientists learn whether a treatment, drug, or device, is safe and effective. People volunteer to take part, and what researchers learn helps answer important questions about health, disease, and care. When communities are appropriately represented in clinical research, researchers can better understand how treatments and devices affect the people who may need them. Clinical trials are one important way new medicines and devices are studied before they become more widely available.

Why do People Participate in Clinical Trials

People choose to take part in clinical trials for many different reasons and participation is always a personal choice. People may consider participating to:

Learn more about a health condition or treatment option

Help researchers understand what works, for whom, and why

Contribute to research that may help future patients

Receive study-related information and follow-up during participation

Take a more active role in decisions about their care

Understanding Trial Phases

Clinical trials often happen in phases. Each phase helps researchers answer different about safety, effectiveness, dosage, and how a drug works over time.

I
Phase 1
Researchers test a new treatment in a small group, who may be healthy adults or people with the condition being studied. This phase helps researchers, learn more about safety, tolerability, and side effects.
II
Phase 2
The study expands to a larger group of people with the condition being studied. This phase helps researchers understand how well the treatment works, what dose may be effective, and whether there are any additional safety concerns.
III
Phase 3
The treatment is studied in a much larger group of people. This phase helps confirm how well the treatment works, monitor safety and tolerability and understand how it may affect different people within the patient population.
IV
Phase 4
After a treatment is approved, researchers may continue studying it. This phase helps researchers learn more about long-term benefits, risks, and how the treatment is used in real-world care.

Glossary of Key Terms

Clinical research comes with its own vocabulary. Here are a few of the most common terms you may encounter.

Clinical Trial

A research study designed to evaluate a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention in people to determine whether it is safe and effective.

Informed Consent

The process by which a potential participant learns about a study—its purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits—before deciding whether to take part.

Placebo

An inactive treatment or substance that looks like the study treatment but contains no active ingredient. Used to measure the true effect of a new treatment.

Randomization

The process of assigning participants to different treatment groups by chance, ensuring groups are comparable and results more reliable.

View ClinicalTrials.gov Glossary

Why Representation Matters

Clinical trials should reflect the people who may, one day, use the treatments being studied. That includes people from different backgrounds, races, ethnicities, genders, ages, and lived experiences.

When research includes a wider range of people, we learn more about how treatments work across real communities. That helps build better evidence, stronger trust, and care that is more relevant to everyone.

For more information visit our educational partner, the Patient Advocate Foundation.

Visit the Patient Advocate Foundation Education Hub

How Reflections Starts Conversations

Learning about clinical research extends far beyond traditional medical settings. Reflections uses immersive art experiences to open conversations about health equity, community trust, and the clinical research process in ways that feel personal and accessible. By bringing art into community spaces, Reflections creates room for reflection, dialogue, and curiosity, often reaching people in places where trust already lives.

Explore the Exhibition and Meet the Artists
Reflections art exhibition

Clinical Trials FAQ

Every clinical trial follows a review and oversight process designed to help protect participants. Before a study begins, an Institutional Review Board, or IRB, reviews it. Participants are also monitored throughout the study and can choose to leave at any time. If you want more information on safety, click here to learn more from our education partner, the Patient Advocate Foundation.
Compensation varies by study. Many trials offer payment for time, travel, or related expenses. Most also cover the cost of the study treatment and certain study-related care. The details should be explained in the study consent process before you decide whether to participate.
Each clinical trial has its own eligibility criteria. These may include things like age, medical history, current health status, or previous treatments. You can use our trial finder to explore studies that may be a fit, or contact us if you need help getting started.
Yes. Participation in a clinical trial is always voluntary. You can decide to leave at any time, for any reason.
Caregivers and loved ones often play an important role in clinical trial decisions. Learning more about how trials work can help you ask informed questions, support conversations with providers, and think through what feels right for your family. Participation is always optional, and there is no one right choice for everyone.

Questions to Ask the Trial Team

Once you have identified a clinical trial, the next step is talking to the trial team. They can explain the study, answer questions about what participation involves, and help you understand what to expect. Below are questions organized by topic to help guide the conversation.

About the Study

What is the purpose of this study and why is it taking place?

What phase is this trial in, and what does that mean for me?

How does the study treatment compare to the standard treatment I would otherwise receive?

Will the trial include the use of a placebo? Will I still receive standard care alongside it?

Who is sponsoring the trial and what is their involvement?

Who reviewed and authorized the study?

Risks and Benefits

What are the possible short-term and long-term benefits?

What are the known risks and potential side effects?

Are there other treatment options available to me?

If the treatment does not work for me, what are my options afterward?

How will the doctor know if the trial treatment is working?

Will anyone on my health care team help me manage side effects?

Participation and Care

What types of tests, therapies, or procedures will I receive during the trial?

How long will the trial last, and how often will I need to visit the study site?

Can I continue taking my current medications while participating?

Will I continue to see my primary doctor while in the trial?

Who should I contact if I experience side effects or have questions during the study?

Will there be follow-up appointments or care after the study is completed?

Your Rights and Personal Life

Can I leave the trial if I change my mind? What would happen to my care?

How will participating affect my day-to-day life, work, and routines?

Will my health information be kept private? Who will know about my participation?

When and how will I be informed about the results of the study?

Costs and Logistics

Will I have to pay out of pocket for anything in the trial?

Will I be compensated for participating? If so, how much and how often?

Will my health insurance cover participation in the trial?

Are there travel, childcare, or other expenses I should plan for?

Where is the trial taking place? Is it offered at multiple sites?

If I am injured during the study, who pays for those costs?

Want even more questions? Visit Clinical Trial Guide for a comprehensive list of 80+ questions organized by category.

View More Questions on Clinical Trial Guide

Stories from Patients & Communities

Hearing from people who have participated in clinical trials or been part of community research conversations can help make the experience feel more real and relatable. These stories reflect a range of perspectives and experiences.

Video stories and community reflections coming soon.

Ready for Your Next Step?

Whether you are looking for a study, support, or more information, we can help you keep going.

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