Clinical Research FAQs

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.

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.

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.

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.

You may contact Clinical Research Services at (614) 722-2650.

For concerns regarding clinical research you may contact the Nationwide Children's Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB), a committee that reviews all research involving children and adults, at (614) 722-2708.