Your rights as a clinical trial participant

Your rights in a clinical trial: voluntary participation, leaving at any time, getting answers to your questions, and how your privacy is protected.

5 min read · Informational only, not medical advice.

Taking part is voluntary

Joining a clinical trial is always your choice.

No one — including your doctor, family or employer — can require you to take part. Saying no will not affect the regular medical care you are entitled to.

You can leave at any time

You can stop taking part at any time, for any reason, and you don't have to explain why.

Tell the study team if you want to leave. They may suggest a final visit to check on your health, but you can say no.

You can have your questions answered

You have the right to clear answers about the study before you join and while you are in it.

Ask about the purpose, the procedures, the possible risks and benefits, the costs, and what happens when the study ends. If something in the consent form is unclear, ask the team to explain it, and take as much time as you need. If information or materials in your language would help, ask whether they are available.

You must be told about new information

If the researchers learn something that could change your decision to stay, such as a new side effect, they must tell you.

You may be asked to sign an updated consent form. You can decide again whether to continue.

Your privacy is protected

Research sites must protect your health information, and the consent form explains who can see it and why.

US privacy rules, such as HIPAA, cover the health records kept by most research sites. Study results are usually shared without names. Ask how your information will be stored and who will have access to it.

Who to contact with concerns

Every consent form lists a contact for questions about your rights, usually the ethics board (IRB) that oversees the study.

You can contact the IRB if you have concerns you don't want to raise with the study team.

How RightFit protects your privacy

RightFit has no accounts and collects no health information. Our eligibility checker runs in your browser and your answers never leave this device. When you contact a study team, you contact them directly.

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Quick answers

Do I have to join a clinical trial?: Joining a clinical trial is always your choice.
Can I leave a trial at any time?: You can stop taking part at any time, for any reason, and you don't have to explain why.
What questions can I ask the study team?: Ask about the purpose, the procedures, the possible risks and benefits, the costs, and what happens when the study ends.
Will I be told about new risks during the study?: If the researchers learn something that could change your decision to stay, such as a new side effect, they must tell you.
How is my privacy protected in a trial?: Research sites must protect your health information, and the consent form explains who can see it and why.
Who can I contact about my rights?: Every consent form lists a contact for questions about your rights, usually the ethics board (IRB) that oversees the study.

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