Get Involved at Franklin Health Research
Clinical trials at Franklin Health Research (FHR) allow us to find new information about the safety and effectiveness of natural products.
Why Should I Participate in a Clinical Trial?
Current and past scientific advances were made possible through the participation of volunteers in clinical research. As research and new products open new doors to finding ways to prevent or treat disease, clinical trial participation is important to help us find the answers.
Our safe clinical trials provide a great opportunity for you to:
Who Is Eligible to Participate in a Trial?
Researchers follow guidelines outlined in a study's protocol when deciding who can participate in a trial. These guidelines are called Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria. Factors that allow you to take part in a clinical trial are called inclusion criteria. Those that prevent participation are exclusion criteria. These criteria are based on factors such as age, gender, treatment history, and other medical conditions. Before joining a clinical trial, you must provide information that allows the research team to determine whether or not you can take part in the study safely. Some research studies seek participants with illnesses or conditions to be studied in the clinical trial, however for trials at Franklin Health Research we often need healthy volunteers. When studying a new product, healthy volunteers help define the limits of normal.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria are not used to reject people personally. Instead, the criteria are used to find appropriate participants and keep them safe, and to help ensure that researchers can find new information they need.
Can My Age Exclude Me from Trials at Franklin Health Research?
Usually, clinical trials conducted in the adult population include participants between the ages of 18 and 64 years.
Geriatric participants, or people over the age of 64, can respond differently to products when compared to younger participants. Age-related changes in volunteers can also affect how a product works. Geriatric patients can be more prone to unfavorable effects due to comorbidities, or having multiple illnesses at the same time. The negative effects can be severe and have more serious consequences compared to the younger population.
I'm Ready to Get Involved, How Can I Find More Information?
If you're ready to get involved in a clinical trial at Franklin Health Research, you can explore our current studies here.
If you don't see a study that is a good fit right now, keep checking our list of current studies for new trials. Studies are updated every month or so as we open new studies for registration. You can also enter your information at the form at the bottom of the Join a Study Page to be among the first to be notified about new opportunities to support the natural health field.
"NIH Clinical Trials and You." National Institutes of Health, 9 February 2022, https://www.nih.gov/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/basics
Shenoy P, Harugeri A. Elderly patients' participation in clinical trials. Perspect Clin Res. 2015 Oct-Dec;6(4):184-9.