Clinical Trials

What is a Clinical Trial?

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What is a Clinical Trial?

Clinical Trials at Texas Heart Institute

The Texas Heart Institute (THI) conducts research through clinical trials as part of our mission to improve heart health. The trials conducted at THI are designed to test the safety and effectiveness of innovative new treatments and medications for patients.

Through clinical trials and patients who volunteer to participate in them, we gain answers to important questions about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. The clinical trials underway at THI are vital to advance the science of medicine, and to generate knowledge and discoveries that translate to the development of new medicines and therapies for cardiovascular disease.

How do clinical trials work?

All trials at Texas Heart Institute must protect patient safety first and foremost.

Our investigators carefully follow protocols designed to maximize benefits and reduce risks.

Our trials are reviewed and monitored by independent Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and, if required, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance.

Our clinical trials have strict eligibility requirements that investigators must follow when enrolling study participants.

Texas Heart Institute provides eligible patients with an informed consent process.  During this process, patients can ask questions and receive study information before deciding to participate in a clinical trial.

A patient’s participation in a clinical trial is always voluntary and the patient can stop participation any time.

Considering a clinical trial?

If you are considering a clinical trial at Texas Heart Institute, we encourage you to contact us.

Here are some questions you may want to ask:

  • What is being studied?
  • What tests and treatments will I receive?
  • How long will the trial last?
  • Are there side effects?
  • Who do I contact with problems or questions?
  • How often will I return for follow-up visits? Where do I go?
  • Will I have to stay in the hospital?
  • Are there costs to me or my insurance to participate in this study?
  • Will I be able to see my own doctor? Who will oversee my care while I participate?
  • Who do I contact if I want to leave the clinical trial?

How is medical research different from medical care?

Where can I go for more information?

To learn more about the clinical trials currently available at Texas Heart Institute, visit our Clinical Trials page or call or email.

You can visit ClinicalTrials.gov for an extensive list of privately and publicly funded clinical studies on a wide range of diseases and conditions.

The US Department of Health & Human Services Office of Human Subjects Research Protections (OHRP) created a series of short, informational videos to help potential participants understand how research works.

To learn more information about clinical trials from a patient’s perspective, you can visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s “About Clinical Trials” webpage or the FDA patient education webpage on clinical trials.