Start by asking your healthcare provider if she knows of any clinical trials for which you may be eligible. Also, hospitals and academic medical centers often place advertisements in newspapers. You can also try these sources:
Call 1-877-MED HERO. The staff of The Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (ciscrp.org) will search clinical trials for you. Or use the organization’s online search engine: SearchClinicalTrials.org
Contact associations. Many health organizations list information about clinical trials on their websites. If you are diagnosed with lupus, for instance, The Lupus Foundation of America will help you hone in on relevant studies.
Go to the government. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov lists federally and privately funded clinical trials in the U.S. and around the world. More than 80,000 clinical trials are listed on the National Cancer Institute site: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials
Check out CenterWatch. A major source of information on clinical trials, this organization has a database listing thousands of trials. http://www.centerwatch.com.