An Introduction to CenterWatch for Clinical Research Trials

The BART Foundation’s mission is to promote better outcomes for brain injury survivors by answering three questions – which alternative therapies are likely to work, where can they be found, and how can they be afforded? One of the ways we fulfill our mission is by carefully watching global research and clinical trial outcomes and sharing that information, in user-friendly language, to the TBI/ABI community.

Since 1994, CenterWatch has been the recognized leader in providing clinical trials information and millions of patients and caregivers start their search for clinical trials with CenterWatch, one of the largest clinical trial databases on the internet.

If you’re new to the world of clinical trials, exploring CenterWatch is a great place to start. The website is user-friendly, and there are many different ways to narrow and refine searches. For example, if you’re curious about worldwide clinical trials for the search term “traumatic brain injury” you’ll soon see the hundreds of possible opportunities that are either currently recruiting participants or in progress. In addition to seeing all available opportunities, it’s also possible to limit search returns by a specific location (for example, Baltimore, MD) or a geographic radius outside of a specific location.

We also encourage everyone to spend time reviewing the full search terms listing. This is important because as we well know, TBI/ABI can occur in many different ways and have many other co-existing conditions. For example, if ABI is the result of a stroke, a relevant clinical trial may be discovered through that specific search term.

Once you find, a clinical trial that matches your condition, and is within geographical reach, clicking on the specific trial and selecting the “See if I Qualify” button will guide you through the particular requirements. As always, we encourage active communication and involvement with your treating physician or medical team. While many specialists are aware of relevant clinical trials, it never hurts to help them out and be proactive!

If you have questions about the process of using CenterWatch, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We always try our best to provide answers in understandable terms, making accurate, practical information about alternative therapies accessible to survivors, caregivers, and health professionals.