Park Nicollet Institute > Research > Participate in Research

Participate in research

Clinical research is the study of health and illness in people. Through clinical research, we learn how to prevent and treat illness by developing and testing new medicines, vaccines and medical procedures. As a result, Park Nicollet physicians stay up-to-date on the latest therapy choices and offer the most current treatments to patients.

By participating in clinical research studies, volunteers gain access to promising treatments years before these treatments are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the general population. Some people participate in clinical research studies to help others with the same condition.

Your involvement helps clinical researchers study:

• how well medications work
• how the human body works
• new procedures
• medical tests
• the best types of patient care

Safeguards

Clinical research is governed by federal laws and international codes of ethics. All research at Park Nicollet Institute must be reviewed by a committee called an Institutional Review Board (IRB). An IRB ensures that the rights and welfare of patients in research studies are protected, and patients and their families are fully informed before agreeing to take part (informed consent). The IRB continues to review the research while it is being conducted.

See left navigation for our five specialty research centers dedicated to leading-edge research in their fields. We also conduct studies in cardiology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, neurology, pediatrics, orthopedics, pulmonary medicine, urology and other clinical areas.