PATIENT PARTICIPATION
Why Participate in a Clinical Trial?
Participating in a clinical trial may give you access to investigational treatments, attentive health monitoring, and compensation for your time, all with support from an experienced local research team.
YOUR IMPACT & VALUE
Benefits of Participating in a Clinical Trial
Clinical trial participation may offer access to investigational treatments, ongoing medical monitoring, and compensation for your time and travel while helping advance medical research.
Access to Investigational Treatments
Depending on the study, you may have access to treatments that are still being evaluated. Some studies may use a standard treatment or placebo. Your research coordinator will explain what the study includes before you decide to participate.
Expert Medical Monitoring and Participant Support
An experienced research team monitors your health throughout the study, which may include assessments, laboratory tests, and regular check-ins. Your coordinator is available to answer questions along the way.
Compensation for Your Time
Participants receive compensation for their time and travel. The amount varies by study and is clearly explained before you decide to participate.
Contribute to Medical Science
Your participation helps researchers learn more about potential treatments and how they affect different people contributing to medical knowledge that may improve care in the future.
SAFETY FIRST
Are Clinical Trials Safe?
Clinical trials involve some degree of risk, but strict safeguards are in place to protect participants throughout the research process.
Your participation is voluntary. You have the right to leave a study at any time, for any reason.
Informed Consent
Informed consent is the process of learning about a clinical trial before deciding whether to participate. You receive a document explaining the study's purpose, procedures, time commitment, potential risks and benefits, and your rights. You will have time to ask questions. Attending a screening visit does not commit you to joining the clinical trial.
Independent Review (IRB)
Every clinical trial is reviewed by an Institutional Review Board, or IRB. This independent committee may include doctors, scientists, and community representatives. It reviews the research plan and helps protect participants’ rights, safety, and well-being before and during the study.
Continuous Safety Monitoring
Your Sequoia research team monitors your health throughout the study. Because Sequoia’s sites work as one connected network, your local team can draw on shared experience and resources when they have questions. Some trials also use an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board, or DSMB, an independent group of experts that reviews participant safety information and study results while the trial is underway. A study may be changed, paused, or stopped if important safety concerns arise.
Your Right to Leave a Study
Participating in a clinical trial is always voluntary. You may leave the study at any time and for any reason. Your research coordinator can explain whether any final safety follow-up is recommended. Choosing to withdraw will not affect your access to regular medical care.
PATIENT REIMBURSEMENT
Can You Get Paid for Clinical Trials?
Yes, participants in Sequoia clinical trials receive compensation for their time and travel. The specific amount varies by study based on the number and length of visits, the procedures involved, and other study requirements. The complete payment schedule is explained in the informed consent document before you decide whether to participate. Study-related medical care, monitoring, laboratory tests, and investigational treatments are provided at no cost to you.
What Do Participants Receive?
Beyond financial compensation, and depending on the study, participants at Sequoia may receive:
- An investigational treatment, standard treatment, or placebo, as explained during informed consent
- Study-related medical care, laboratory tests, and health monitoring at no cost
- Compensation for the time and travel required for study visits
- Reimbursement for eligible study-related expenses, such as parking, mileage, or other travel costs, when included in the study
How Is Compensation Structured?
Some Sequoia studies provide compensation after completed visits, while others provide it at specific study milestones. Payment amount and timing depend on the study’s length and requirements. Your informed consent document includes the complete compensation schedule, which is reviewed and approved by the study's independent IRB before enrollment begins.
THE PARTICIPANT JOURNEY
What Happens When You Join a Clinical Trial?
Joining a clinical trial at Sequoia begins with a screening visit, with no commitment required.
Screening
We review your health history and other information to determine whether the study may be right for you. Screening does not require you to enroll.
Informed Consent
Your coordinator explains the study, including what to expect, potential risks and benefits, and your rights. Participation is always your choice.
Study Visits and Support
Attend scheduled visits for study-related care, testing, and monitoring, with support from your research coordinator throughout the study.
End of the Study
Your research team completes any required final assessments and explains whether additional follow-up is needed.
Ready to take the next step?
ELIGIBILITY & INCLUSION
Who Should Participate in a Clinical Trial?
Clinical trials may be open to people with a specific health condition or to healthy volunteers. Each study has its own requirements based on factors such as age, health history, medications, and previous treatment.
Exploring current studies and speaking with a coordinator can help you determine whether a study may be right for you.
ELIGIBILITY & INCLUSION
Explore Clinical Trial Opportunities
Browse Open Studies
Find a Sequoia clinical trial that may match your health profile and location.
Find a Location Near You
Sequoia has clinical research locations serving the Kansas City community from Lenexa, Kansas, and the Houston, Texas community.
Talk to a Study Coordinator
Have questions before you decide? You do not have to make this decision alone. Our study coordinators are here to help you understand what participation may involve.
Frequently Asked Questions About Clinical Trial Participation
Why participate in a clinical trial?
People participate in clinical trials for many reasons. Depending on the study, you may gain access to an investigational treatment, receive study-related medical monitoring at no cost, and be compensated for your time and travel. Participation also helps researchers understand whether potential treatments are safe and effective for people with your health condition. The information gathered from every participant contributes to medical knowledge that can improve care for people with similar health conditions in the future.
What are the benefits of participating in a clinical trial?
Potential benefits may include access to investigational treatments before they are widely available, regular monitoring by an experienced research team, and study-related medical care at no cost. Participants may also receive compensation for their time and travel to each study visit. By taking part, you contribute information that helps researchers evaluate potential treatments and may support better treatment options for future patients.
Are clinical trials safe?
Clinical trials involve potential risks, but they must follow safeguards designed to protect participants at every stage. An independent Institutional Review Board, or IRB, reviews and approves the research plan before it begins. The informed consent process explains known risks, possible benefits, procedures, and participant rights before you enroll. Your research team monitors your health throughout the study, and participation is voluntary. You may withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason.
Do you get paid for participating in clinical trials?
Yes, participants in Sequoia clinical trials receive compensation for their time and travel. The amount and payment schedule vary depending on the study's length, visit frequency, procedures, and other requirements. Your informed consent document explains the full compensation schedule before you agree to participate. You can review this information, ask questions, and decide whether the study is right for you.
How much do clinical trials pay?
Clinical trial compensation varies by study. Factors may include the number of appointments, the length of each visit, the procedures involved, and the overall study duration. Some studies provide payment after individual visits, while others pay at certain milestones. Your informed consent document will explain the exact amount, eligible travel reimbursement, and payment schedule before you make a decision about participating.
How are clinical trial participants protected?
Participants are protected through informed consent, independent IRB review, ongoing health monitoring, and the right to leave at any time. Some studies also have a Data and Safety Monitoring Board, or DSMB, that reviews safety information while the trial is underway. Federal research protections, including the Common Rule and the health privacy law HIPAA, set standards for safeguarding participants’ information and rights. Your study coordinator can explain the specific protections that apply to your trial.
Is volunteering for a clinical trial safe?
Clinical trial participation includes potential risks, which should be clearly explained before you enroll. Participation is voluntary from the first screening visit through the end of the study. An independent IRB reviews the trial, and the research team monitors your health while you participate. You can ask questions at any point and may leave the study at any time if you no longer wish to continue.
What happens when you join a clinical trial?
The process generally includes four stages. First, the research team screens you at no cost to determine whether you qualify for the study. Next, you review the informed consent document, ask questions, and decide whether to enroll. If you join, you attend scheduled visits for study-related treatment, testing, and monitoring. At the end of your participation, the team completes any required final assessments and explains your follow-up instructions.
Can I get paid for being in a clinical trial?
Yes, Sequoia clinical trial participants receive compensation for the time and travel associated with study visits. Compensation is different for every study and may depend on the visit schedule, time commitment, procedures, and other study requirements. Before you join, your informed consent document will provide the specific amount, payment timing, and any eligible reimbursement for study-related travel expenses, so you can review the details before deciding.
What do clinical trial participants receive?
Depending on the study, participants may receive an investigational treatment, standard treatment, or placebo as explained during informed consent. Study-related medical care, laboratory testing, and monitoring are provided at no cost throughout the trial. Participants also receive compensation for their time and travel, and may receive reimbursement for eligible study-related expenses such as parking or mileage. The study team explains exactly what the study includes before you decide whether to participate.
Who should participate in a clinical trial?
Clinical trials may be open to people with a particular health condition or to healthy volunteers. Every study has different requirements involving factors such as age, medical history, medications, and previous treatment. Not every study is right for every person. Reviewing open studies and completing an initial screening with a study coordinator can help determine whether a specific opportunity may be appropriate for you.
Are clinical trials worth it?
Whether a clinical trial is worth participating in depends on your personal goals, health, schedule, and comfort with the study's requirements and risks. Potential benefits may include access to investigational treatments, attentive medical monitoring, compensation for time and travel, and the opportunity to advance medical science. You should also consider the time commitment, required procedures, and potential risks before deciding whether participation is right for you.