How to get into a clinical trial? Understanding inclusion and exclusion criteria

person searching for clinical trials on computer

When determining which clinical trial is the right fit, many factors must be considered. The site location, the number of required visits, and the length of the study are all important considerations, but before any of this, it is vital to consider the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria.

A clinical trial’s inclusion and exclusion criteria outline who can and can’t participate in the study. This might be due to a person’s age, comorbidities, or course of treatment, and ensures that the data collected is accurate to the population being studied.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for clinical trials

When conducting medical research, it is vital to control for variables to determine the impact of a potential treatment or therapy accurately. Common inclusion and exclusion criteria can include demographic information, such as age, weight, or gender, or more condition-specific criteria, such as the medications a person has taken or the levels of specific components in the blood. All of this depends on the type of clinical trial and the aim of the research in question. For example, in a recent high blood pressure clinical trial Antidote recruited for, some of the criteria included:

  • A high blood pressure/hypertension diagnosis,
  • Taking at least 3 blood pressure medications,
  • And a systolic blood pressure higher than 145 even when taking the medications

What types of clinical trials are there?

There are seven main types of clinical research, all of which have different methodologies and research outcomes.

  • Treatment research generally involves potential new treatments or therapies for a condition
  • Prevention research examines how conditions can be prevented or stopped from returning, often with the use of medicines, vitamins, vaccines, or lifestyle changes
  • Diagnostic research examines improvements when identifying better ways to diagnose a particular condition
  • Screening research studies the best way to detect particular conditions
  • Quality of life research looks for ways to improve an individual’s quality of life while living with a chronic condition
  • Genetic studies set out to improve the detection of disorders by identifying how genes can relate to illnesses
  • Epidemiological studies seek to identify patterns of conditions in specific groups of individuals

How to join a clinical trial

Joining a clinical trial can be an excellent opportunity to contribute to scientific advancements, gain access to potential new treatments, and work directly with specialists in a particular condition. To start finding the right trial, use a clinical trial search tool to see which studies are recruiting and may be a good fit. Click the button below to get started.