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Understanding Clinical Trials (DVD)

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Reviewed By: Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: March 2, 2008

Author: National Cancer Institute Publisher: National Cancer Institute; 17 minutes Information: Order free from the NCI OncoLink Rating:

This 17 minute DVD is an introduction to participating in clinical trials and is available free from the NCI. The DVD is intended to be used as a discussion tool for group or one on one education. The accompanying discussion guide has suggested questions and topics for discussion. It could also be used by individual patients looking to learn more about trials.

The DVD is broken down into 3 sections. What is a clinical trial includes information on the phases of trials and who is involved in conducting them. Protecting your rights addresses safety monitoring, Institutional Review Board approval and the rights of the patient. Making your decision addresses things to consider when considering a trial, such as distance to the site, number of visits, any costs, etc. It provides a nice review of participating in trials without a bias toward participating or not participating.

Numerous patients are seen in the video, describing why they did or did not participate in a trial, considerations for them and how they felt about their decision. These patients also address common myths, such as feeling like a guinea pig, placebo and cost to participate. This DVD would be a nice addition to any resource library or patient education program.