CaringBridgeTool
CaringBridge: share updates & rally support
A free, ad-free platform for creating a private page to share health updates with family and friends and coordinate practical help through a treatment journey.
Support groupsFor caregivers
05 · Library
A library of resources you can trust.
Authoritative, plain-language guides on clinical trials — gathered from the NIH, ClinicalTrials.gov, the NCI, the FDA, and our own guides. Browse freely; sign in to save what’s useful to your dashboard.
Free to browse No account needed to read Sign in to save
Plain-language AI summaries pulled from trusted public sources (MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov). Not medical advice.
Topic
Format
37 resources
NIHHub8 min
Clinical Research Trials and You
The NIH's plain-language hub on what clinical trials are, why people join, and what to expect — a trustworthy first stop if you're new to research studies.
Getting startedSafety & rights
National Cancer InstituteHub10 min
Clinical Trials Information for Patients & Caregivers
The National Cancer Institute's guide to finding and joining cancer treatment trials, including how to search NCI-supported studies and questions to ask.
Finding a trialGetting startedFor caregivers
National Cancer InstituteArticle8 min
Deciding to take part in a clinical trial
A National Cancer Institute guide to weighing a clinical trial — what to consider, questions to ask the study team, and how to think through risks, benefits, and logistics.
Getting startedSafety & rights
ClinicalMatchMateArticle5 min
Finding a Trial — a step-by-step guide
ClinicalMatchMate's own walkthrough of how to go from a diagnosis to a shortlist of trials worth asking your care team about, in plain language.
Finding a trialGetting started
ClinicalTrials.govArticle12 min
Learn About Clinical Studies
ClinicalTrials.gov's official primer on how studies are designed, what phases mean, and how eligibility works — the reference behind most trial listings you'll see.
Getting startedEligibilityFinding a trial
NORDHub
NORD: rare-disease patient assistance & advocacy
The National Organization for Rare Disorders connects people affected by rare diseases to patient-assistance programs, plain-language education, and a network of member advocacy organizations.
Advocacy
Patient Advocate FoundationHub
Patient Advocate Foundation: case management & co-pay relief
A national nonprofit offering free case-management help with insurance appeals, medical debt, and co-payment relief for people in active treatment for serious illness.
Costs & coverageSafety & rightsAdvocacy
ResearchMatchTool
ResearchMatch: a volunteer registry for studies
A free, NIH-funded registry that helps connect people interested in research with studies that may be looking for volunteers. Joining is voluntary and you choose what to share.
Finding a trialGetting started
ClinicalTrials.govHub
About ClinicalTrials.gov: how study information is shared
How the public ClinicalTrials.gov registry works, what study information is posted, and how results are made available.
Data & privacyGetting started
American Cancer SocietyHub
American Cancer Society: 24/7 helpline & programs
A national organization offering a round-the-clock helpline, patient programs like lodging and rides to treatment, plain-language information, and patient advocacy.
AdvocacySupport groups
Cancer Support CommunityHub
Cancer Support Community: helpline & support groups
Free emotional and social support for anyone affected by cancer — a toll-free helpline, professionally led support groups, and local and online communities.
Support groups
CancerCareHub
CancerCare: financial and co-payment assistance
Free professional support and limited financial assistance for cancer-related costs such as transportation, home care, and co-payments, delivered by oncology social workers.
Costs & coverageFor caregivers
Caregiver Action NetworkHub
Caregiver Action Network: tools for family caregivers
A free resource hub with checklists, toolkits, and a help desk for the family caregivers who support loved ones through illness and treatment.
For caregiversSupport groups
FDAArticle9 min
Clinical Research — The Drug Development Process
The FDA's overview of the clinical-research stage of drug development: what each trial phase tests and the protections in place for the people who take part.
Safety & rightsGetting started
ClinicalMatchMateArticle4 min
Clinical trial eligibility criteria, explained
What inclusion and exclusion criteria are, why they exist, and how the study team confirms whether a trial is a fit — in plain language.
EligibilityFinding a trial
MedlinePlusHub7 min
Clinical Trials — MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus gathers trusted, easy-to-read explainers on clinical trials from the National Library of Medicine, with links to related health topics in plain language.
Getting startedData & privacy
Family Caregiver AllianceHub
Family Caregiver Alliance: support and resources
Practical tools, education, and services for family caregivers, including condition-specific guidance and help locating local support.
For caregivers
FDAHub
FDA: informed consent guidance for clinical research
The FDA's informed-consent resources for clinical investigations — what consent must explain and the protections it provides for people who take part in studies.
Informed consentSafety & rights
ClinicalMatchMateArticle4 min
Glossary of trial terms
Common words you'll see in trial listings and consent forms — phase, placebo, randomization, adverse event — explained simply by ClinicalMatchMate.
Getting startedEligibility
National Cancer InstituteArticle9 min
How to find a cancer treatment clinical trial
A step-by-step National Cancer Institute guide to searching for treatment trials and understanding what the listings mean.
Finding a trialEligibility
NIHArticle6 min
Informed Consent for Clinical Trials
What informed consent really means: how the study team explains a trial, the document you'll review, and your right to ask questions and leave at any time.
Informed consentSafety & rights
MedicareArticle5 min
Medicare coverage for clinical research studies
How Medicare covers routine costs of qualifying clinical research studies, what is and isn't covered, and what to check before joining.
Costs & coverageEligibility
NAMIHub
NAMI: mental-health peer support & helpline
The National Alliance on Mental Illness offers free peer-led support groups, a helpline, and education for people navigating mental health alongside a medical condition.
Support groupsAdvocacy
NeedyMedsTool
NeedyMeds: medicine and healthcare cost savings
A nonprofit directory of patient-assistance programs, free or low-cost clinics, and a drug discount card that helps people afford medicines and care.
Costs & coverage
National Institutes of HealthArticle5 min
NIH Certificates of Confidentiality
What a Certificate of Confidentiality is and how it protects the privacy of people taking part in sensitive research by limiting disclosure of identifiable data.
Data & privacy
HHS Office for Human Research ProtectionsArticle8 min
OHRP: informed consent in human research
Guidance from the federal Office for Human Research Protections on what informed consent requires and the rights it is meant to protect.
Informed consentSafety & rights
HHS Office for Human Research ProtectionsHub
OHRP: protections for research participants
The federal office that oversees protections for people who take part in research, with plain-language explanations of your rights and how oversight works.
Safety & rights
ClinicalTrials.govArticle8 min
Paying for Care in a Clinical Study
Who pays for what when you join a trial — which costs the study covers, what insurance may handle, and questions to ask the coordinator before you enroll.
Costs & coverageEligibility
ClinicalMatchMateArticle4 min
Placebos in clinical trials, explained
What a placebo is, why some studies use one, when they don't, and what informed consent discloses — in plain language for patients and caregivers.
Getting startedInformed consent
ClinicalMatchMateChecklist5 min
Questions to ask before joining a clinical trial
A plain-language checklist of questions for your care team and the study team — covering the study, risks and benefits, logistics, cost, and your rights.
Getting startedInformed consentSafety & rights
ClinicalTrials.govTool
Search studies on ClinicalTrials.gov
The official search tool for the U.S. registry of clinical studies, where you can filter by condition, location, and recruitment status.
Finding a trial
Smart PatientsHub
Smart Patients: online patient & caregiver communities
An online community where patients and caregivers learn from each other in condition-specific forums, including questions worth bringing to clinical-trial conversations.
Support groups
National Cancer InstituteArticle7 min
Support for caregivers of people in treatment
Plain-language guidance from the National Cancer Institute on caring for someone in treatment while looking after your own wellbeing.
For caregivers
Triage CancerHub
Triage Cancer: insurance, finances, and work
Free education and resources on health insurance, finances, employment rights, and disability for people navigating a cancer diagnosis.
Costs & coverage
ClinicalMatchMateArticle4 min
What a clinical trial visit schedule looks like
A plain-language walkthrough of a typical trial schedule — screening, baseline, treatment-period visits, and follow-up — and how to plan around it.
Getting startedFinding a trial
HHS Office for Civil RightsArticle6 min
Your health information privacy rights (HIPAA)
How HIPAA protects your medical records, what rights you have to access and control your health information, and how to file a complaint.
Data & privacySafety & rights