News Release: Emory Healthcare , Research , School of Medicine
Nov. 19, 2009
New Web Site Matches Research Volunteers with Clinical Studies Across the Country
People who want to participate in clinical research studies can now connect online with researchers nationwide by joining ResearchMatch.org. The new website, sponsored by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), brings together researchers and people who would like to learn more about available clinical research studies.
Emory University is one of 51 institutions participating in this first national, secure, volunteer recruitment registry.
ResearchMatch is the product of the NCRR’s Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Consortium. The CTSA is a national network of 46 medical research institutions working together to improve the way biomedical research is conducted across the country.
Emory leads the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI), a CTSA partnership including Morehouse School of Medicine, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for those who are interested in participating in clinical research -- young or old, healthy or with an acute or chronic illness. By participating in researchmatch.org, those with a rare disease or condition can find out more about available clinical research studies being conducted throughout the United States,” says Arlene Chapman, MD, professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, co-principal investigator of the ACTSI and director of the ACTSI Clinical Interaction Network Program.
“In addition, the opportunity to participate in local studies is increased by being a participant in this registry,” Chapman adds. “If an individual decides to sign up with researchmatch.org, anonymity is strictly protected. Another advantage of being a participant in researchmatch.org is that much of the time typically spent finding out if one can or is eligible to participate in a particular clinical study is reduced.”
ResearchMatch will ‘match’ any interested individual residing in the United States with researchers who are approved to recruit potential research volunteers through the system. When an individual registers at the Research Match website, security features ensure that personal information is protected until a volunteer authorizes the release of their contact information to a specific study that may be of interest to them. Volunteers are notified electronically that they are a possible match and then can decide whether to provide their contact information to a researcher.
Currently 51 institutions representing 39 of the 46 CTSAs are listed as participating sites through ResearchMatch, including Emory. A complete list of these institutions is available at https://www.researchmatch.org/partners/.
Established in 2007 with a $31 million grant from the NIH, the Emory-led ACTSI includes nine key areas of research including clinical interaction, education, community engagement, ethics, research technologies, pilot studies, biostatistics, bioinformatics and pediatric research. The goal of the ACTSI is to bring the results of research discoveries more rapidly to patients through widespread community involvement in clinical research.
ResearchMatch is accessible at: www.researchmatch.org/route=emory
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