About clinical trials
Clinical trials for children
Clinical trials are research studies that test new treatments, interventions, or diagnostic methods to help prevent, detect, or manage a variety of diseases or medical conditions.
Taking part in a clinical trial is different from receiving standard care in our hospitals. That’s why it’s important to understand all the information before deciding whether to enrol your child in a clinical trial.
For more details about clinical trials in Australia, see the Australian Clinical Trials website.
Why we need clinical trials
Clinical trials are an important part of research. They help test whether new treatments, interventions or diagnostic methods are safe and effective before they become widely available.
Involving children in clinical trials means that we can research better ways to care for them in our hospitals.
By taking part, you can help improve health care for children, now and in the future.
How clinical trials work
A clinical trial works by collecting information about the safety and effectiveness of what is being tested. Depending on the type and phase of the clinical trial, the information collected can be different.
Usually, clinical trials compare what is being tested against something called a ‘control’, but this is not always the case.
For more details on how clinical trials work, see the Australian Clinical Trials website.
Types of clinical trials
- Treatment trials: focus on new treatments, medicines, or therapies.
- Diagnostic trials: focus on tests or procedures to diagnose or detect diseases.
- Prevention trials: focus on ways to prevent diseases, such as vaccines.
- Screening trials: focus on methods for early disease detection.
Common questions
Can my child participate in a clinical trial?
It depends on the type of clinical trial being conducted. All trials outline who they need in order to conduct the research and this changes for every trial. Trials may need a participant relating to a particular or combination of:
- Age group
- Disease or condition
- History of disease or condition
- Stage or progression of disease or condition
- Previous treatment/medication history
- Health status
- Demographic
Before your child enrols in a trial, they may need to undergo some medical tests to ensure they are the right person for the trial. These tests are also useful to generate a baseline knowledge of your child’s health status, especially if the trial requires regular record throughout the duration of the trial.
Are clinical trials safe?
All clinical trials in Australia are regulated by national laws and codes of conduct that all aim to protect trial participants and the integrity of the research gathered.
All clinical trials in Australia are required to undergo a thorough review process by an accredited Human Research Ethics Committee before commencing. This review process ensures that the proposed research conforms to national human research ethics regulations.
There are also constant reporting procedures all clinical trials must adhere to. You can learn more about these processes on our Ethics and Governance pages.
What are the benefits and risks involved in a clinical trial?
Though clinical trials have many benefits, they also come with some risk. You and your child are required to be informed of all the potential risks before enrolling in a trial.
Potential benefits
- Assist in the development of new treatments, therapies and/or diagnostic procedures.
- A chance to access a new treatment or therapy.
- Opportunity to support and contribute to research.
- Advice and care from top expert clinical staff leaders.
- Personalised and enhanced care.
- Specialised treatment monitoring.
Potential risks
- It might not work.
- It might not be as effective as other treatments.
- There could be negative side effects.
- There may be unexpected or unknown risks.
Who runs a clinical trial?
Clinical trials are conducted by a team of researchers and clinical professionals. This team can be very diverse and include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, support staff, biostatisticians and many other health or medical professionals.
Useful resources
- Australian Clinical Trials (opens in a new tab)
- Australian & New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (opens in a new tab)
- Healthdirect | Clinical trials (opens in a new tab)
- Medicines Australia (opens in a new tab)
- Therapeutic Goods Administration | Clinical trials (opens in a new tab)
- Research Australia (opens in a new tab)