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Referral
Partners
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Invite to Check-In:
The call may be anywhere from a week to the
night before the Check-In. |
This is the call most people think is their
ticket to the study. Sadly, this is not the case.
The recruiter will call and confirm that your screening
results were accepted or that you were disqualified based on
your results. They may ask you to come in for a repeat
test if necessary or a physical if it was not done during
the initial screening.
They will tell you if you need to fast before you check in
or not. You should plan on arriving at least 30
minutes early. If you are late to check in, your spot
may be given to a another subject.
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Packing for the Study: |
When you screen, you should be given a list of stuff you can
and can't bring. The following pretty much applies to
all clinics unless noted.
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Allowed |
NOT Allowed |
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Toiletries |
Medicated lotions, shampoos,
anything with vitamins, aloe vera, cocoa butter,
peroxide, whitening toothpastes, alcohol,
mouthwash with alcohol |
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Cell phones |
Cameras, cell phones with
cameras, laptops with cameras |
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Laptop computers |
Food, beverages, snacks, gum,
candy, bottled water |
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Games, books, magazines, homework |
Explicit material such as movies,
magazines, pictures |
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Movies, VHS, DVD |
Large TVs (pretty much anything
non LCD) |
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Portable TVs, DVD players, 15" or
smaller LCD TVs |
Weapons or anything that could be
perceived as a weapon |
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Video game consoles, alarm clocks |
Electronics without headphones |
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CD players, MP3 players |
Alcohol, drugs (seems to go
without saying but...) |
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Guitars (though you shouldn't
play in the dorms or sleeping areas) |
Anything large and bulky |
| Recommended Items to
Bring |
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| Animal Slippers (okay, any
slippers will do) |
Shower shoes/flip-flops |
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Power strip
if you have more than 2 electronic devices |
Security Blanket / Extra Pillow |
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Hoodie |
Headphones (even if you don't have a laptop) |
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Earplugs
(some clinic provide them but better to be sure) blindfold |
Skin Lotion
(can be dry in the clinic) |
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Deodorant (please bring
some!) |
LAN cable (if you have a
laptop) |
This is just a basic guideline.
Each clinic has a rules pamphlet so read it
carefully for what you can and can't bring.
Most
places have little if any room for storage. You will be expected
to bring as little as possible, but enough to keep you clothed, clean, busy and
entertained. Most places do not provide lockers for storing
valuables. It is recommended that you do not bring valuables and
if you do, to keep them with you at all times to prevent damage or
theft.
Payphones are usually provided. Bring your own
change or bring a cell phone or phone card.
You will be provided with linen, pillows and
blankets. Laundry service varies from facility to
facility. It will depend on the length of the study but typically
you'll have some type of laundry service on studies longer than a
week. You may
wish to bring an extra blanket and or pillow as clinics
keep the air conditioning on year round in order to
maintain a sterile environment. Some clinics are
freezing cold!
At most clinics, you will need to bring
your own clothes. Bring enough for 6 to 7 days.
You will be lounging around most of the day so bring
comfortable clothes like sweat shirts and sweat pants.
You will probably want to bring a hoodie. Some
clinics provide scrubs to wear, but you'll still need to
bring lots of socks and undies. You should also
bring comfortable shoes or animal slippers. You are not
allowed to walk around bare-foot or in sock as there
could be sharp objects or needles on the floor.
Be sure to search your bag before you pack for stuff that
is not allowed. Do not bring any medications or
items with banned substances. You can be removed
from the study if you have a medication because they
don't know if you've used it or not.
Some clinics strip search you down to
your underwear, so be sure to wear underwear! |
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Check-In: |
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Make sure that you arrive to check-in at
least 30 minutes early. If you arrive late, you can be
removed from the study or bumped to the back of the order.
The clinic brings in backup volunteers to take the place of
volunteers who arrive late or get disqualified during
check-in.
When you
arrive for Check-In, you will be given one of two classifications:
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Primary
Subject: This means that barring any major changes in
your health between the screening visits and Check-In, you will
more than likely be on the study. |
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Backup
Subject: This means that you are here in case one or
more of the primary subjects do not show up and or are
disqualified before the first dosing. Most backups
will stay until the first dosing but one or two
may be sent home on the day of check-in. |
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It is very important to keep in mind that
ALL subjects are backups until the first dosing! No
one is guaranteed a spot on the study until after the first
dosing. Even people using priority cards can be
disqualified if you fail to meet the study requirements at
check-in.
Let's
say that the study you are trying to get on has 10 spots
available. More than likely, 12 to 15 people will be called in for
Check-In. Sometimes more.
Between
Check-In and the first dosing, most if not all screening procedures will
be repeated. You will have to submit a urine sample, blood
samples, vitals and ECG. The tests are done again because values
often change between the screening and Check-In. Results from the
screening and the Check-In are compared for inconsistencies. Also,
you are being tested for illegal drugs and alcohol, which are not permitted
at anytime throughout the study.
If
any of your tests come back out of range, you may be pulled from the
study. Most
times it is simply that your lab values were out of the range that the
Sponsor was looking for. As long as nothing medically abnormal is
found in your lab values or drugs or alcohol were found in your system, you will be able to screen for another study
right away. If you are pulled from the study, you will
probably not receive any compensation for your time as you
will likely be dismissed before staying the night.
If
you are a backup subject, you may stay at the facility for one or more
nights, up until the first dosing. Some drugs are dosed the day
after Check-In, while others dose two or more days after. If you
are a backup subject and do not make it on the study, you will typically receive some
compensation. This will be outlined in the informed consent.
There may also be backups who do not stay the night.
As long as you are still qualified, you may still get a
small payment and a priority card for another study.
Don't get discouraged if you check in and are
a backup. I've been in studies where every backup was
used and of course studies where no backups were used and
everything in between. You never know what will happen
between check in and the first dose.
Some
facilities do not operate in this manner. I have seen dozens of
different scenarios. But this seems to be the most
common.
Again, it is important to remember that nobody is guaranteed a spot on the
study until the first dosing.
If drugs or alcohol are detected, you will
not be in the study and you will likely be barred from
participating in future studies. It's not worth the
risk. |
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The Dosing: |
Once the
sponsor makes the final decision of who to allow on the study, you will be
dosed. Once you are dosed, you are on the study.
A representative from the sponsor is often
present during the first dosing.
A backup could be used right up to the last
minute. Once everyone who is going to dose has dosed,
then any backups will be sent home.
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