Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What benefits does study participation have for me?
Who can participate in a clinical study?
Can I discontinue a study early?
How often can I participate in a clinical study?
Will my travel expenses be refunded?
How much time and effort is involved?
How safe are clinical studies, are there side effects?
What happens to my personal data?
Which studies is SCIderm currently offering?
How do I become a test subject at SCIderm?
What benefits does study participation have for me?
By participating in a clinical study, you have the opportunity to participate in the latest medical developments and to benefit from these in health terms. Often these involve completely new concepts or therapies which have not up to now been paid for by health insurance companies (e.g. modern psoriasis therapy with so-called biologics). All examinations and treatment conducted within the scope of the study are free of charge, and you will experience practically no waiting time in our research office. And finally, you will be making an important contribution to medical progress.
Who can participate in a clinical study?
In principle, anyone can participate as a subject in a clinical study. However, in many studies, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children, cannot take part. The basic requirement for participation is the existence of the disease being studied, e.g. psoriasis. The exact criteria that determine participation are termed inclusion and exclusion criteria and are defined differently for each study.
Can I discontinue the study early?
You can end participation in the study at any time without stating any reason. Please inform your investigator as soon as possible about your decision.
However, since study results are only useful if the study is completed to the end as planned, it should always be the goal to end a study as scheduled. Only such action renders valuable scientific findings possible.
How often can I participate in clinical studies?
In principle, you can only participate in one study at a time. Depending on the study, an interval between clinical studies of 30 days to several months is required. If these "waiting periods" are observed, it is possible to participate in any number of studies.
Will my travel expenses be refunded?
Travel expenses are of course refunded. Travel expenses are usually included in overall expenses which are credited to you per appointment at our institute. Payment of expenses is made at the end of the study, and in the case of a longer study at regular intervals during the study.
If the fee transferred exceeds your actual travel expenses, you must declare this in your annual tax return.
How much time and effort is involved?
The duration of a clinical study varies. Some studies only require two to three brief visits to our study site, others take months or several years to complete. Individual visits to our site last 30 minutes to a maximum of 3 hours. Depending on the study, examinations are performed, such as an ECG, blood samples, photos etc.
A stay in hospital or overnight stay is not required for any of the studies we conduct.
How safe are clinical studies, are there side effects?
Prior to participation in a clinical study you will of course be informed about all known possible side effects. The side effects are different from item to item. Any side effect occurring will be medically treated and observed until it disappears. You are continuously treated and cared for by specialized medical staff.
A medical preparation can only be used on humans after intensive clinical laboratory tests and animal experiments. The respective Ethics Committee, federal authorities of the Health Ministry, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices in Bonn (BfArM) or the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) verify whether all requirements have been met to commence testing with humans.
Only after all approvals have been granted can the study begin.
What happens to my personal data?
All doctors, study nurses and staff at the research facility are sworn to secrecy. Your data is only conveyed to clients in "pseudonymized" form so that your identity is not disclosed.
If you give consent to be included in our subject database, you can withdraw such consent at any time and will not receive any information from us about current studies, and your contact data will be deleted.
Which studies is SCIderm currently offering?
Detailed information on studies currently underway is available under the menu item "Current clinical studies"
How do I become a subject at SCIderm?
Simply call us toll free at 0800-0004562 and make an appointment. Or send us your contact data via the Online Form. Do you want to visit us directly? We look forward to meeting you. You will find us here: Site plan