Ensure all appointments are kept

Appointments with the study doctor are made on a specific schedule to dispense the study medication and to evaluate your loved one’s progress. Anything you can do to make sure the appointment is not missed will be one of the best ways you can help.

At the doctor’s visit

If your schedule permits, go with your loved one to the doctor’s visit. You are not only providing emotional support, but you can also serve as an effective advocate by asking questions or voicing concerns that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether you can be with your loved one at the study visit or not, the following are important to do:

Following study procedures

Those who participate in clinical trials must be sure to take the study medication as prescribed. If the instructions are not followed correctly, doses are missed, or study medications run out, then the research results could be negatively affected. It could even affect the health of your loved one. It also undermines the very reasons your loved one volunteered for the trial.

Keep health records together

Place all of the study documents and medical records in a folder or large manila envelope so everything is in one place and can be easily found.

Collect and make sure the study staff has access to the following documents:

• Medical record and allergies
• List of study medication and other prescription or over-the-counter medications
• List of any vitamins and ‘natural’ products

 

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