Changing Medicine. Changing Kids’ Lives. ® That phrase captures our belief that research makes a difference in the most advanced treatment options and outcomes.
Review our current pediatric clinical trials
Here’s why your family may consider participating in a clinical trial
- You are helping to make progress in the understanding and treatment of your child’s disease.
- Your child will receive close monitoring of their disease.
- You may have more frequent contact with your child’s health care team.
- Your child might receive a new and innovative treatment.
What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial looks for new and better ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, or treat a disease. At any one time, there are hundreds of clinical trials being conducted by University of Iowa physicians and researchers.
Clinical trials usually fit one of these categories:
- Treatment trials determine if a treatment improves outcomes in a disease
- Prevention trials test new methods to lower the risk of disease.
- Observational studies gather information about the disease without changing your child’s care. They provide critical information to improve outcomes or design clinical trials for future therapies. Observational studies might include one, or more, types of outcome.
Examples include:- Screening trials test the best ways to detect a disease in its early stages.
- Risk factor trials look at the link between risk factors and disease or the effect of treatments for the disease.
- Quality of life trials look at how the disease affects patients and identifies factors that might improve comfort and quality of life for patients.
- Correlative trials use blood and tissue samples to look at disease risk or how well a treatment is working.
Visit our FAQ on clinical trials for more information.