Clinical Research Eligibility

Each study has its own guidelines for who can participate, called “eligibility criteria”.

Generally, participants in a study have things in common, such as the type and stage of cancer, age, gender, and/or previous treatments. The eligibility criteria are included in the protocol or study plan.

What is a Protocol?
A protocol is a study plan that a clinical trial is based on. This protocol, or study plan help ensure patient safety.

The protocol details specific study information: eligibility, length of study, procedures, tests, medications and dosages.

The Principal Investigator (usually the physician who is in charge of the clinical trial) prepares a plan for the study, called a protocol.

The protocol explains, specifically, what the study will do, how it will be carried out, and why each part of the study is necessary.

For example, a standard protocol would include the following elements:

• The purpose of the study
• How many people will be in the study
• Who is eligible to participate in the study
• What study drugs participants will take
• What medical tests participants will have and how often
• What information will be gathered

When entering a clinical trial, the patient and their family will be given information and an informed consent which is obtained prior to participation in the study.

To provide consistency, every doctor and research center that takes part in the trial uses the same protocol. This ensures that patients are treated identically no matter where they are receiving treatment.

Information from all the participating centers can be combined, compared and shared with the goal of benefiting patient care everywhere.

To find out if you are eligible for a particular study, talk to your doctor or call the Salem Hospital Clinical Research Department at (503) 561-2618. We look forward to assisting you.