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  • Research Study Registry: Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Do I have to be in a study if I answer these questions?
    1. No, you do not have to be in any study. If you are contacted, you will have a chance to ask questions and decide if you are interested or not.
  2. Is this registry only for COVID-19 studies
    1. No. We started the registry because of the great need for COVID-19 studies, but CHR has been conducting research for over 50 years. You will have the choice to indicate if you want to hear about only COVID-19 studies or other studies as well.
  3. How long will it take me to answer the questions in this form?
    1. It will take most people between 10-15 minutes to answer the questions.
  4. When will I be contacted about studies?
    1. You may or may not be contacted about any study. At this time, we do not know what studies we will be starting and who can participate based on age, health, and other reasons.
  5. Do I have to be a Kaiser member?
    1. No, you do not need to be a Kaiser member to be a part of this contact list.
  6. I have heard that COVID-19 is affecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color more. Are you considering this in your studies?
    1. Yes, COVID-19 has greatly affected Black, Latino, Indigenous and Other People of Color and their communities. To successfully stop the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and to treat people infected with COVID-19, we need vaccines and treatments that are safe, effective, and accessible to EVERYONE. To guarantee this, it is very important that participants in these studies include Black, Latino, Indigenous and Other People of Color.
  7. What other kinds of studies do CHR researchers do?
    1. ​​​​​​​We do a wide range of clinical studies including trials of cancer treatments, cancer detection, ways to improve care, vaccine safety studies, comparisons of diabetes treatments, and vaccine trials for diseases other than COVID-19.
  8. How does Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research choose which studies to open?
    1. Each study is looked at by a team of experts including research scientists, doctors, nurses, and our local research ethics board. We choose studies that we believe will make the best contributions to the science of COVID-19 and will provide the information we need to best serve our members and the community.
  9. What about research studies for children?
    1. ​​​​​​​At present we are not conducting COVID-19 vaccine or treatment studies in children, but that could change. In addition, we do conduct studies of children for other diseases, vaccines, and the like. So the registry allows parents and guardians to tell us if they want to be contacted about studies that are available for children. You can use the registry solely to let us know you want to be contacted about COVID-19 and other research enrolling minors without having to join the registry yourself.  You will need to provide your name and contact information. 
  10. What if I change my mind about being in this contact list or being in a study?
    1. You can change your mind at any time for any reason. This will not impact the care you receive at Kaiser Permanente. If you want us to remove you from the database or from a study, please contact us at 503-335-2468 or, toll free, at 877-900-1125. Being in a study is an important decision and we want you to be able to make the decision based on what is best for you.
  11. How long will you be doing COVID-19 studies?
    1. We do not know how long, but we will continue to run COVID-19 studies for as long as we need to research this disease to find better vaccines and treatments for our members and the community.
  12. What will you do with the results from the studies that Kaiser conducts?
    1. Results will be published in health journals and used by Kaiser doctors in treating patients.
  13. How do I learn more about COVID-19 research happening in the US?
    1. There are several websites that stay up to date about COVID-19 research happening at Kaiser Permanente and other places across the US. There is also information on what we are learning about vaccines and treatments.
    2. ClinicalTrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov/
    3. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Volunteer for COVID-19 Clinical Trials. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/clinical-trials/covid-19-clinical-trials