For Parents

For Parents - Deciding to Participate

At All Children's Hospital, we understand that it is difficult being a parent of a child with a medical problem, and even more difficult to decide whether it is in the best interest of your child to participate in a medical research study. We also know that clinical research is the only means that we have to evaluate treatments for illnesses and diseases

Taking part in a study is entirely voluntary. It is never required and choosing not to take part will not change the standard procedures of care that your child will receive. If your child has an illness or disease where there is no known cure, participation in a research study may not provide a benefit to your child, but may help researchers learn more about the illness or disease, or ways to diagnose and treat the illness or disease. Your child is free to withdraw from a study at any time without affecting on-going or future medical care.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a web based information resource for families entitled Children & Clinical Studies. This site features an award-winning video of children, parents, and healthcare providers discussing the participation of children in research. Tambien en Espanol.