Receive Information About Optometry Research Opportunities
Participation in optometric research helps improve vision care by answering important clinical questions.
You may sign up to receive occasional emails or phone calls describing a study in which you may participate.
- Emails are targeted to those most likely to be able to participate in a study, so register individuals separately
- Your information will be securely maintained until you request removal
- Only College of Optometry research scientists with approval will contact you
- We will not share your information with other individuals or groups
- When you receive an email or phone call, you can contact the investigator if interested
- If you no longer want to be contacted, email optometrystudies@osu.edu
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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You can click on the red button (above) on this webpage to sign up to receive email or phone calls about research opportunities in The Ohio State University College of Optometry. If you are interested in participating in a study, you can respond to the email or phone call.
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Your participation helps to provide answers to important clinical questions, and that ultimately improves the care of patients with vision problems. Every research opportunity is unique. Some opportunities provide free or reduced cost eye care and vision correction, while others simply reimburse you for your time. In general, we do everything possible to make it easy for you to participate.
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Emails and phone calls will be sent to targeted audiences. For example, we will only send emails or call people who are the appropriate age for the study. Because most of our contacts are targeted, we believe that you will receive fewer than one email or phone call per month. If you receive too many, you can asked to be removed from the email list by emailing optometrystudies@osu.edu.
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Clinical research involves human participants to improve medical knowledge. There are two main types of clinical studies: clinical trials and observational studies.
Clinical Trials
Investigators compare two or more treatments to determine whether one works as well as or better than another. For example, investigators may provide a new treatment to children with amblyopia (lazy eye) to see if it improves vision more than standard treatment.
Observational Studies
Investigators assess health outcomes in all participants, but do not assign a specific treatment. For example, investigators may examine children every year to determine those who become nearsighted.
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Clinical studies are designed to add to medical knowledge related to the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases or conditions. Some common reasons for conducting clinical studies include:
- Evaluating one or more drugs or medical devices for treating a condition
- Finding ways to prevent the initial development or recurrence of a condition
- Evaluating one or more ways to identify a particular condition
- Examining methods for identifying risk factors for a condition
- Exploring ways to improve the quality of life of people with a chronic condition
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Participating in a clinical study contributes to medical knowledge. The results of these studies can make a difference in the care of future patients by providing information about the benefits and risks of therapeutic, preventative or diagnostic products or interventions.
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Clinical studies have standards outlining who can and cannot participate. Some research studies seek participants who have a condition that will be studied, while other studies seek healthy participants.
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You should ask any question that makes you more comfortable. Answers to many questions will be provided in the informed consent document that is required for every study. Here are some examples of questions that you may consider asking:
- What is being studied?
- Why do investigators believe the treatment might be effective?
- Why do investigators believe the treatment might not be effective?
- Has the treatment been tested before?
- What are the possible treatments that I might receive during the trial?
- How will it be determined which treatment I receive (for example, by chance)?
- Will I know which treatment I will receive?
- How do the possible risks, side effects, and benefits compare with those of my current treatment?
- What tests and procedures are involved?
- How long will the study last and how many visits are involved?
- Will I be reimbursed for expenses encountered because of the study?
- If I benefit from the treatment, will I be allowed to continue receiving it after the trial ends?
- Will results of the study be provided to me?
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Clinical studies are led by investigators who are typically licensed optometrists. Clinical studies also have a research team that may include students, staff, and other healthcare professionals.
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Most of the clinical studies are conducted in the Wildermuth Optometric Research Clinic in The Ohio State University College of Optometry. However, a few studies may take place in The Optometry Clinic or community clinics.
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Informed consent is a process in which researchers provide participants with information to help people decide whether they want to enroll or continue in a study. The process is intended to provide enough information for a person to understand the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the study. The entire process includes recruitment materials, the informed consent document, verbal descriptions, and question-and-answer sessions.
In general, a person must sign an informed consent document before entering a study to show that he or she understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives to participation. Signing the document is not a contract; participants may withdraw from a study at any time, even if the study is not over.
Each clinical study must be reviewed, approved, and monitored by an institutional review board (IRB). An IRB is made up of clinicians, researchers, and community members to ensure the study is ethical and participants are protected.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Privacy Rule cover the privacy of health information collected during research studies. Information collected cannot be publicly disclosed without express written consent of the participant, all data must be securely maintained, and no data can be individually identified.
In short, participant informed consent and privacy are extremely important to research, so we take these protections very seriously and do everything we can to protect participants.