Quality Care, Confidentiality, and Excellence are our Standards

Patient volunteers can be assured that our physicians and staff maintain the highest standard of integrity, compassion, intellectual honesty, quality of care, and are compliant with all human research protections.

We accept unfunded patients, Medicare, Medicaid, Hillsborough Heathcare and many commercial plans.

Why volunteer for a study?

There are many reasons to participate in a research study, including:

• To gain early access to new HIV/AIDS treatment
• To gain early access to new measurement and monitoring tests
• To gain a broader range of therapeutic options available for HIV treatment

Are there benefits to participating in a research study?

No one can completely predict the outcome of a research study or how it might affect you. However, our patient volunteers benefit in several ways from our research studies. They gain early access to new drugs and new measurement/laboratory monitoring tests, permitting better disease management. Research participants are followed by additional specialists, providing as additional opportunity for patient education and safety through repeat systematic examinations and extra lab monitoring. For example, the complete response rate to HIV antiviral drugs in the general population is around 50%, whereas research patients routinely achieve approximately 85% response rates.

What questions should I ask before agreeing to participate in a study?

Before you volunteer to take part in a research study, you need to know as much as possible about it. If there are any issues that concern you, you may want to write your questions down in advance to discuss with your physician.

Can I withdraw from a study?

As a study participant, you have the right to withdraw from a study at any time for any reason.

Are my records confidential?

Like your medical record, the information in research records is confidential. Information will only be given to the researchers involved in the study or to those who ensure the study is safe and carried out appropriately. The HIV Clinical Research Unit is HIPAA compliant. The research information that is provided to the study sponsor (i.e. pharmaceutical company) that oversees the research study, will not include your name or the names of any other volunteers participating in a clinical trial.

Get Involved!

To view our currently enrolling studies, visit our Enrolling Studies page.

If you don't qualify for our current studies, please visit our Register for Updates page. Here you can subscribe to email alerts to new studies as they become available at the USF Health HIV Clinical Research Unit.

Still have questions? Please visit our Contact Us page!

Helpful Forms:

Clinical Trials Q&A from the FDA

Medical treatment clinical trials from the FDA

Patient volunteer info sheet from the NIH 

Patient Volunteer brochure from the Office for Human Research Protections