You should seriously reconsider your willingness to participate in any study in which your questions are not fully and patiently answered. Among the things you should know are: If you live a distance from the study center, how long will you need to be available to the researchers and at what stages of the study? What kinds of tests will you be asked to submit to during the study? How long is the study expected to last? Is there a possibility that you will be receiving a placebo? Will your usual doctor participate or be informed about your role in the study? Who will know that you are participating in the study? Is your participation anonymous or simply confidential? What risks are already known about the substance or therapy being studied? What are the potential benefits the study hopes to demonstrate? Are there any results already known about the drug, good or bad? How many others are participating in the study? Will you need to go off of your present drug therapy? What, if any, portions of the study will you need to pay for?
