- Hello, my name is Susan Owenby with Nashville General Hospital.

On today's "For Your Good Health," we are going to be talking about what questions patients should ask about clinical trials.

Patients should definitely recognize that they have multiple treatment options.

When the physician talks to them about their treatments, it should always include clinical trials, if they're part of the care at that institution.

But they should never just blindly go into it without asking questions first.

Why is this an option for me?

What's it going to do for me that what you've got on the shelf isn't?

What side effects is it going to add to my treatment?

How's it gonna affect my life?

What's the cost of it?

What's the cost of the treatment on the study or off of the study?

Am I treated any differently because I'm on a study?

What will my insurance say about me being on a clinical trial?

I think it's really important that patients are aware, clinical trials are out there for all treatments, all diseases, all illnesses.

And to ask their physician, are their clinical trials going on here that I could be a part of?

And I think the most important reason for that is they get access to drugs that may show a benefit that they wouldn't know about if they weren't on a trial.

Am I gonna have to come to the office more?

Because that impacts their transportation, their ability to work.

How's it gonna impact the rest of my family?

How am I gonna feel?

Am I gonna feel like cooking dinner for my family?

Am I gonna be able to pick up my kids at 3:00?

You definitely need to bring someone in, I highly encourage it.

Someone to take notes.

They're in information overload.

We give them a lot of information.

I even encourage people to record the conversation so they don't forget what is said.

Always ask questions.

It's extremely important.

The most important person on the care team is the patient, and they have to be comfortable with what treatment they're undergoing, whether it's a clinical trial or whether it's not.

Again, my name is Susan Owenby.

Thank you for watching "For Your Good Health."