Before a clinical trial begins, several important steps are taken to protect participants and make sure the study is well-planned.

These steps include:

• Writing a detailed protocol (a rulebook for the study)
• Getting approval from an ethics board (called an IRB)
• Registering the trial publicly (such as on ClinicalTrials.gov)
• Choosing qualified doctors and research sites
• Setting up systems to collect data securely
• Preparing materials for participant education and informed consent

Only after these steps are complete can participant recruitment begin. At DecenTrialz, we help with pre-screening to match people with trials they may qualify for.