Healthy Volunteer Research Opportunities
Pennsylvania is a gorgeous state with deep history, though as is the case in a lot of areas these days, economic realities have made life a challenge for many. Lots of Pennsylvania residents are seeking ways to supplement income. A great way to do that is seeking paid clinical trials for healthy volunteers nearby. Such opportunities are numerous throughout Pennsylvania, and in Pittsburgh specifically.
To find such opportunities, you want to look for Clinical Research Organizations, or CROs. There are approximately 86 CROs in and around Pittsburgh. Expanding a bit beyond Pittsburgh proper, the Combined Statistical Area, or CSA, of the region increases clinical research trial options for interested volunteers.
In order to determine what might be available for you, there are three additional numbers to consider. You want to know how much work needs to be done; what’s the “demand” for CRO discoveries. Experts say 1 out of 200 people in the US need to be involved in such trials continuously. The next two numbers are the population of Pittsburgh proper, and the surrounding CSA.
Pittsburgh proper has approximately 302,425 people, while the surrounding CSA has 2,635,228 as of mid-2016. With these numbers, we can conclude there are between 17 and 153 individual opportunities per CRO in the area. Likely, there will be more options at each CRO, this is just the average range the stats indicate. Demographic information helps us narrow your potential opportunities down further.
Demographic Data Indicates Trial Availability
To further narrow down what paid clinical trials for healthy volunteers are available in Pittsburgh, we want to look at the city’s demographics. Now, these numbers are centered around the 302k+ people living in Pittsburgh proper, rather than the surrounding area, but trends in CRO trials will likely base volunteer opportunities on this data. Locally, 66.37% of the population are Caucasian, 22.98% are of African descent, Asians are at 5.83%, there are 3.62% of the population who are two or more races, and other demographic stats are statistically negligible. The median age is 32.6, 51.01% of the population are female, 48.99% are male.
Interpreting Pittsburgh Demographic Information to Find Paid Trials
So the preponderance of paid clinical trials for healthy volunteers will be geared toward white and black girls in their early thirties, followed by white and black men in the same category. That said, it’s worth noting that any clinical trial benefits more when its findings have a broadly applicable relevance to the general population. So only in niche situations will ethnic background be a delineating agent. For the most part, CROs want more diversity, not less.
Pittsburgh CROs Healthy Participants Can Explore
Here’s a selection of three CROs that may offer healthy volunteer paid clinical trials. These can help you figure out what’s locally available, and what to look for:
Medical Trends in Pittsburgh Advancing Science
Beyond the monetary angle, historical significance rests in the discoveries of CROs. Pittsburgh is actually known, in part, for its medical discoveries. Being involved in clinical research through CROs might give you the opportunity to be involved in medical innovations such as the following:
- New Treatments for Liver Cancer
- Brain-Computer Interface Technology
- Treatments Extending and Enhancing the Lives of Breast Cancer Survivors
Potential Pittsburgh Trials For Local Healthy Volunteers
The bottom line is, you’ve got a lot of options when it comes to CROs in Pittsburgh. Truly, if you’re interested, beyond making a little money you can be involved in the sort of history that advances medical science. Investigate this; you might be surprised.