Clinical Research Studies: Information for Families

We are committed to improving children’s health and research is vital to that commitment. Clinical research takes what scientists discover in the lab and attempts to answer the questions: “Will this work in people?" and "Will this help treat a disease or condition?”

In 2008, Nationwide Children's Hospital was actively involved in more than 750 clinical research projects. These projects range from small studies that are designed to simply collect information about a disease, to those that investigate the potential new treatments or procedures that are at the forefront of clinical innovation and discovery. 

When you enter Clinical Research Services, located on the 4th floor of Timken Hall at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, you'll see handprints of children who have participated in research studies. These handprints represent the  “Children Helping Children Through Research” philosophy and show how children of all ages have volunteered their time to help others who have illnesses similar to their own.

Please choose a link below to learn more about participating in a clinical research study.

Frequently Asked Questions About Being in a Research Study
Research Subjects Bill of Rights
Current Studies Needing Volunteers
More Information about Children and Clinical Studies

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is a Clinical Study?

A.  A clinical research study is done to see how a specific disease or condition affects people. The research study might be designed to collect data to see what happens to the people who have a disease or condition over a period of time or it might involve providing volunteers with a treatment or therapy to see if it helps the disease or condition.

Q. Why is it necessary to do clinical research studies in children?

A. Children are not miniature adults. As a result, adult treatments may not always work the same way in children. In addition, some conditions only affect children.

Q. Why would a child enroll in a clinical study?

A. Some reasons parents enroll their children into studies include:

* Parents and children with chronic illnesses want to help in some way to improve care for their disease.
* Research caregivers are often able to spend more one-on-one time with research volunteers.  Parents often feel as if they receive more personalized care and education.
* Clinical studies often include no-cost diagnostic testing (such as blood tests and x-rays) that may not otherwise be done.

Q. How does my child participate in a study?

To find out more information about research studies being done at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, call Clinical Research Services at (614) 722-2650.

A member of the research staff will ask you a series of questions about your child’s health and schedule an appointment for you and your child to meet with the study doctor to see if your child is eligible to be in the study.

Our Obligations to our Patients and our Families:

* We will treat each family as our priority, providing them with the respect, attention and care that they deserve.
* We will remove your child from the study if we feel it is in your child’s best interest to do so.
* We will notify you when we receive new information that may affect your willingness to continue in the study.
* We will ensure that your visits to Clinical Research Services are comfortable and completed in a timely fashion. 

Research Subjects Bill of Rights

Anyone participating in a research study has the right:

1. To be provided with information about why the study is being done.

2. To be given information on what will happen during the study (what procedures will be done, how many visits will occur, etc.).

3. To be told about any risks or discomfort that may be experienced if you decide to be in the study.

4. To be told about any benefits from being in the study.

5. To be given information about alternative therapies and treatments for your condition.

6. To have the study staff review the study and consent form information with you so that you can ask any questions that you may have.

7. To be informed of what you should do if you have a complication from being in the study.

8. To be given information that you may stop being in the study at any time, without compromising your future healthcare. 

Current Research Studies Accepting Volunteers

Nationwide Children's is currently conducting numerous research studies. If you are interested in learning more about research study opportunities, please call Clinical Research Services at (614) 722-2650. 

You may also contact the Nationwide Children's Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB), a committee that reviews all research involving children and adults, at (614) 722-2708 to discuss concerns or questions and to obtain information or offer input.