Clinical Trials Specialist
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Gastroenterology Clinic of San Antonio
Nicholas P. Martinez, MD
Gastroenterologist located in San Antonio, TX
Clinical trials play an essential role in developing new treatments that help people feel better and recover from illness, and you can be a part of this process. Nicholas Martinez, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist who conducts clinical trials at Gastroenterology Clinic of San Antonio, and his patients are welcome to apply for a place in a trial. In addition to taking advantage of potentially helpful new treatments, you don’t incur high costs, and you get to contribute to the advancement of medical knowledge. To learn more, call Dr. Martinez’s San Antonio office or schedule an appointment online today.
Clinical Trials Q & A
What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate the effectiveness of new medical treatments using genuine patients. Trials can assess how much improvement patients experience and whether there are any side effects of a particular drug or device. Clinical trials are an essential phase in developing new medications and treatment methods to help improve health and fight disease.
Why should I participate in a clinical trial?
If you have a health problem, participating in a clinical trial means you have access to a new treatment before it’s available via prescription. If the treatment works, it could relieve your symptoms more effectively than existing treatment methods. You can also save on your health costs, as the company sponsoring the research usually covers the expenses involved in clinical trials.
Clinical trials are essential in making advancements in patient care and curing disease, and without participants in trials, many potentially groundbreaking medicines and devices wouldn’t become available. By participating in a clinical trial, you’re making a valuable contribution to everyone’s health and well-being, not just your own.
Are clinical trials safe?
The subject of the trial will have been through extensive testing before being given to patients, to reduce the likelihood of serious side effects. However, one of the purposes of the research is to find out if there are any unknown side effects, including positive aspects of the treatment, that can’t be determined any other way.
If you’re considering taking part in a clinical trial, Dr. Martinez goes through the possible side effects and benefits in detail to make sure you’re fully aware of any risks involved. You must sign a document giving informed consent, which means you understand what’s involved in the clinical trial and agree to treatment.
You might participate in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which means that some patients receive a placebo rather than the drug itself. A placebo is a substance that looks exactly like a drug, but has no active ingredients. Some patients receive the drug, others receive the placebo, and neither the patient nor the researchers know who has which, helping to ensure the results are genuine and not a consequence of any other factors.
The Gastroenterology Clinic of San Antonio usually has about 10 clinical studies ongoing at any time, with a particular focus on inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC).
Dr. Martinez encourages his patients to learn about trials that may be relevant to them, and is happy to answer all your questions. To learn more, call Gastroenterology Clinic of San Antonio or schedule an appointment online today.
