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How it works · navigation tool
How ClinicalMatchMate works
A step-by-step guide to finding potential clinical trials, understanding what the results mean, and preparing questions for your care team.
ClinicalMatchMate does not diagnose, recommend treatment, guarantee trial eligibility, or replace conversations with your clinician or research team. It helps you organize public information and prepare better questions.
The simple version.
Search → match → understand → save → discuss → confirm with the study team. Six steps, and the last word always belongs to your care team.
- 1
Search
Tell us what you’re looking for
Enter a condition, location, and basic preferences like travel distance. You don’t need a perfect medical summary to begin.
- 2
Match
Review potential trials
ClinicalMatchMate organizes public trial information into easier-to-read result cards.
- 3
Understand
Understand the details
Plain-language summaries explain the study purpose, eligibility basics, phase, location, and next steps.
- 4
Save
Save what matters
Save trials, questions, and notes to review later or bring to your care team.
- 5
Discuss
Discuss with your care team
Bring the results to your doctor, specialist, or research coordinator.
- 6
Confirm
Confirm with the study team
Only the study team can confirm your eligibility and whether the trial is appropriate for your situation.
What ClinicalMatchMate does — and doesn’t.
The clearest way to understand ClinicalMatchMate is by what it is, and what it is not. The clinician and study team remain the decision-makers.
- Organizing public clinical trial information
- Showing potential trial matches
- Translating trial information into plain language
- Saving trials and questions
- Preparing for doctor and research-team conversations
- Helping you understand common trial terms
- Diagnose medical conditions
- Recommend treatment
- Guarantee eligibility
- Replace your doctor
- Confirm trial enrollment
- Provide emergency medical guidance
Understand your result cards.
Each potential trial shows up as a card. Here’s an illustrative example — hover or focus any field label to see what it means.
A Study of an Investigational Therapy for Adults with Advanced Kidney Cancer
● Recruiting- PhaseThe stage of research and the main question the study is trying to answer.
- Phase 2
- ConditionThe health problem the study is focused on.
- Advanced renal cell carcinoma
- PurposeWhat researchers are trying to learn from the study.
- To learn whether the therapy is safe and how well it works
- EligibilityRules used to decide who may be able to join a study.
- Adults 18+, specific diagnosis & prior-treatment rules apply
- LocationWhere study visits may happen — a trial may have several sites.
- 3 sites within ~60 miles of your area
- SponsorThe organization responsible for starting, managing, or funding the study.
- University research center
- ContactWho may be able to answer study-specific questions, when listed.
- Study coordinator (phone listed on record)
This is a made-up example to show the layout — not a real trial.
What each field means
- Trial title
- The official study name.
- Recruiting status
- Whether the study appears to be looking for participants.
- Phase
- The stage of research and the question the study is trying to answer.
- Eligibility criteria
- Rules about who may or may not be able to participate.
- Sponsor & contact
- Who runs the study and who may answer study-specific questions.
What “potential match” means.
This is the most important idea on the page. ClinicalMatchMate uses “potential match”A trial that may be relevant to discuss — eligibility still needs study-team confirmation. language on purpose: public trial information is only a starting point.
A potential match means
- The trial may be relevant based on public information
- It may be worth discussing with your clinician or research team
- More details may be needed before anyone knows if it fits
A potential match does not mean
- That your eligibility is confirmed
- That it’s recommended for you
- That it’s better than standard care
- That it’s safe or appropriate for your situation
- That enrollment is guaranteed
Study teams use detailed inclusion criteriaRequirements someone must meet to join a study. and exclusion criteriaFactors that may prevent someone from joining a study. — plus records, labs, imaging, and prior treatments — to decide who can take part. These criteria help identify appropriate participants and keep people safe.NIH ↗
Plain-language summaries.
ClinicalMatchMate can translate trial information into plain language so it’s easier to understand. Summaries help you prepare questions — they don’t replace the official study record, informed-consent form, clinician guidance, or study-team screening.
What this study is about
The purpose, in everyday words.
Who the study may be for
A plain read of the eligibility basics.
What participation may involve
Visits, tests, and time, at a glance.
Why this may or may not fit
Honest framing — including reasons it might not.
Questions to ask next
Prompts to bring to your care team.
Save trials, then talk it through.
As you review results, save what matters so you can come back, compare options, and bring an organized list to your appointment.
You can save
- Trial cards
- Questions for your doctor
- Questions for the study team
- Location and logistics notes
- Concerns about cost, time, travel, placebo, or risks
Then ask your clinician
- Whether any saved trials are worth discussing now
- Whether more test results are needed first
- Whether a referral to a research coordinatorA team member who helps with screening, logistics, visits, and communication. or specialist center makes sense
- Whether joining would replace or add to standard of careThe usual treatment approach based on current evidence and practice.
Bring better questions to your visit
Our first-conversation guide turns saved trials into a question list you can copy, download, or take with you.
What happens next.
If a trial looks relevant, here’s the realistic path — and where the study team takes over.
- Save the trial and read the plain-language summary.
- Review the eligibility basics and add questions to your visit list.
- Ask your clinician whether it’s worth discussing.
- Contact the study team only when you’re ready to learn more.
- The study team begins screening — reviewing history, diagnosis, prior treatments, labs, imaging, and medications.
- You and the team go through the informed-consent conversation.
- The study team confirms your eligibility — even a strong-looking match may not qualify.
When to use ClinicalMatchMate.
Newly diagnosed
Learn what exists
See what kinds of trials may exist before or during treatment planning.
Before a new treatment
Ask first
Check whether any trials should be considered before your next step.
After treatment changes
Search again
Re-search if your diagnosis, stage, biomarkers, or treatment history changes.
Rare disease / limited options
Organize widely
Gather trials, registries, natural-history studies, and specialist-center questions.
Caregiver support
Prepare together
Save questions and prepare for appointments with a loved one.
Frequently asked questions.
Does ClinicalMatchMate tell me if I qualify?
Where does trial information come from?
What should I do with a saved trial?
What if the trial is far away?
What if I don’t understand the trial summary?
Can trial information change?
Is this medical advice?
References, sources & review.
Written in plain language by ClinicalMatchMate and grounded in public guidance. This page is educational and is not medical or legal advice.
This page is educational and is not medical advice. ClinicalMatchMate organizes public trial information and helps you prepare questions; it does not diagnose, recommend treatment, guarantee eligibility, or confirm enrollment. Trial details can change and should be verified with the trial site or study team. Final eligibility and appropriateness are confirmed only by the study team.