Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions about Trialytics and clinical trials.
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Popular questions
If you're new to Trialytics, start here.
Trialytics helps you find clinical trials that fit your health situation. You describe your condition in your own words; Trialytics maps what you tell it to standardized medical vocabularies, compares it against the eligibility criteria of studies on ClinicalTrials.gov, and explains in plain language why each trial might be a fit. It's free for patients. See how it works.
Yes — and always will be. Searching, matching, and checking your eligibility are free for patients. There's nothing to pay, at any point.
You describe your situation — your diagnosis, any biomarker or genomic results (like ER/PR/HER2, ESR1, or PIK3CA status), and your treatment history. Trialytics reads that in plain language, maps it to standardized medical vocabularies, and compares it against each trial's eligibility criteria. Every match comes with a plain-language explanation of why you might qualify. Location doesn't affect whether you're eligible — it's used separately, to show you where matching trials are and how far away.
Most trials cover the study treatment and the tests that go with it, and some also offer compensation for your time and travel. Routine care that isn't part of the trial — like regular check-ups — may still be billed to your insurance as usual.
Yes. Your health profile is private to you. We don't sell your data — not to advertisers, not to sponsors, not to anyone — and we never share your information without your say-so. When you choose to contact a trial, only the details that trial needs are shared with its research site. See our Privacy Policy for the full picture.
Getting started
The basics of how Trialytics works.
Trialytics helps you find clinical trials that fit your health situation. You describe your condition in your own words; Trialytics maps what you tell it to standardized medical vocabularies, compares it against the eligibility criteria of studies on ClinicalTrials.gov, and explains in plain language why each trial might be a fit. It's free for patients. See how it works.
No — you can search and browse trials without one. A free account lets you save trials, get matches tailored to your profile, and keep track of the ones you're interested in or have already contacted.
Yes — and always will be. Searching, matching, and checking your eligibility are free for patients. There's nothing to pay, at any point.
Understanding clinical trials
What clinical trials are and how they work.
A clinical trial is a research study that tests a medical treatment — a drug, device, or procedure — in people. Trials are how researchers learn whether something new is safe and works before it becomes widely available. Trialytics currently focuses on interventional trials, which test a treatment directly.
Every trial carries some risk alongside its potential benefits, and trials are built with safeguards to manage that. In the U.S., studies of drugs and devices are reviewed by an independent ethics panel called an Institutional Review Board (IRB), and many are overseen by the FDA. Your health is monitored throughout, the research team explains the specific risks before you join — a step called informed consent — and you can leave at any time, for any reason, without affecting your regular care.
Phase 1 checks whether a treatment is safe and how well people tolerate it, usually in a small group (often 20–100 people). Phase 2 looks at whether it works and watches for side effects (about 100–300). Phase 3 compares it against the current standard of care or a placebo in a much larger group (often 1,000 or more). Phase 4 follows a treatment after approval to track its long-term effects.
Some trials use a placebo, but many don't. When a placebo is part of a study, you'll be told before you enroll. Plenty of trials compare a new treatment against the current standard of care rather than a placebo, so you receive active treatment either way.
Eligibility & matching
How we determine which trials fit your profile.
You describe your situation — your diagnosis, any biomarker or genomic results (like ER/PR/HER2, ESR1, or PIK3CA status), and your treatment history. Trialytics reads that in plain language, maps it to standardized medical vocabularies, and compares it against each trial's eligibility criteria. Every match comes with a plain-language explanation of why you might qualify. Location doesn't affect whether you're eligible — it's used separately, to show you where matching trials are and how far away.
Researchers set specific eligibility criteria for every trial. Common reasons a trial isn't a fit include age, disease stage, previous treatments, or other health conditions. When a trial doesn't match, Trialytics shows which criteria weren't met — so you understand why, rather than just seeing a "no."
A match shows as "uncertain" when your profile doesn't yet have enough detail to check all of a trial's criteria. Adding more — especially biomarker and genomic results and your treatment history — often turns an uncertain match into a clear one.
Yes. Matching shows how likely you are to be eligible, but the trial's research team makes the final call. If a study interests you, you can express interest and let the team assess your eligibility directly.
Yes. From your dashboard, or from any match, open "Update profile" to review what's on file and edit or add details. When you first build your profile you can also upload a record — PDF, Word, or text — and Trialytics will use it to fill in your notes. Any changes refresh your matches.
For many trials you can run an eligibility check that compares your profile against the trial's criteria. You can download the result as a one-page summary to bring to your doctor.
Yes. With an account, Trialytics can email you when new trials match your profile. You decide how often you hear from us — and can set quiet hours — under Account → Alerts.
Most trials don't need a referral, though some do. You can check the trial's eligibility criteria and its ClinicalTrials.gov listing, or ask the research site directly. Your own doctor is also a good person to help you weigh whether a trial is right for you.
Enrollment process
From expressing interest to your first appointment.
The research site reaches out to talk through the study and screen you to confirm eligibility. Screening can include phone calls, a review of your medical records, and in-person visits.
Tap the heart on any trial to save it to your Interested list. As things move along, each trial progresses through Interested → Contacted → Screening under "My Trials," so you always know where it stands.
It depends on the trial. A simple study might enroll you within a week; a complex one with extensive screening can take several weeks to a few months.
Usually not. Most interventional trials require that you not be enrolled in another one at the same time — both to protect your safety and to keep the research results accurate.
Costs & compensation
What you pay, what you don't, and what you might receive.
Most trials cover the study treatment and the tests that go with it, and some also offer compensation for your time and travel. Routine care that isn't part of the trial — like regular check-ups — may still be billed to your insurance as usual.
Taking part usually doesn't change your insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, most plans must cover the routine care costs of a qualifying trial, and the sponsor typically covers the experimental treatment itself. Coverage can vary, so it's worth confirming the specifics with your plan before you enroll.
Some trials pay for your time and travel. When compensation is offered, the research site goes over the details with you during screening.
Privacy & data
How we handle your health information.
Yes. Your health profile is private to you. We don't sell your data — not to advertisers, not to sponsors, not to anyone — and we never share your information without your say-so. When you choose to contact a trial, only the details that trial needs are shared with its research site. See our Privacy Policy for the full picture.
Yes. You can delete your account at any time under Account → Privacy. When you do, we remove your personal information from our systems.
Only you can see your health profile. When you choose to contact a trial, the relevant details are shared with that one research site — and no one else.
After you enroll
What to expect once a trial begins.
Yes. Taking part is always voluntary. You can withdraw at any time, for any reason, and it won't affect your regular medical care.
Tell the research team right away. Trials have set procedures for handling side effects, and you have access to medical care throughout the study.
It depends on the trial and the treatment. Some sponsors run "expanded access" or "compassionate use" programs that continue treatment after a study ends. Ask the research team about post-trial access before you enroll.
Technical support
Help with using the platform itself.
Trialytics works on current versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. Keeping your browser up to date gives you the best experience.
Sign in with your email and password, or with "Continue with Google." If you sign up by email, we'll send a verification link to confirm your address before your first sign-in.
For help with the platform, email [email protected]. For questions about a specific trial, contact the research site directly using the details on the trial's page.
Additional questions
Other things people often ask about.
An NCT number is the unique ID assigned to a trial registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. government's database of clinical research. Every trial on Trialytics links to its official ClinicalTrials.gov listing so you can see the full record.
Trialytics refreshes its data from ClinicalTrials.gov every day, so you see current trial status, eligibility criteria, and contact details. Each trial also shows when its information was last updated.
Yes. You can look for trials on behalf of a family member or someone you care for. When the research site gets in touch, just let them know you're asking for someone else.
Every trial on Trialytics is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, which requires detailed information about each study's sponsor, protocol, and sites. We link straight to the official government listing so you can verify the details yourself.