FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a clinical study?
A clinical study helps researchers understand how new diagnostic tests, medical devices, or procedures work in real-life settings.
These studies provide important information that can improve healthcare and advance scientific knowledge.
Why should I consider participating?
People join clinical studies for different reasons, including:
- Access to new diagnostic tests
- Personalized attention from trained clinical staff
- Contributing to medical research
- Helping improve healthcare for future patients
- Compensation for time and travel (depending on the study)
Participation is always voluntary.
Is it safe to participate in a study?
Yes. Your safety is our top priority.
Safety protections include:
- Review by an Independent Review Board (IRB)
- Trained clinical staff following Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
- Oversight by a licensed Principal Investigator
- Monitoring for any side effects or concerns
- The right to stop participating at any time
Every study is designed to minimize risk.
What types of studies do you conduct?
BioPartners conducts:
- Diagnostic test studies
- Biospecimen collection studies
- Device usability and self-collection studies
- Observational studies
- Research involving questionnaires or interviews
Most of our studies are non-invasive or minimally invasive.
Will I be paid for participating?
Many studies offer compensation for your time, effort, and travel.
The amount varies by study and will be explained during the screening or consent process.
What happens during a study visit?
A study visit may include:
- Answering health questions
- Providing a sample (swab, blood, urine, saliva)
- Using a diagnostic device
- Completing surveys or questionnaires
Your clinical coordinator will explain everything before each step.
How long does a study visit take?
Visits may last anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the study type.
Your coordinator will let you know the expected duration in advance.
Will my personal information remain private?
Absolutely. BioPartners follows strict privacy standards.
We protect your information by:
- Assigning coded participant IDs
- Storing your name separately from research data
- Using secure, encrypted systems
- Limiting access to authorized clinical staff
- Complying with HIPAA, IRB requirements, and data protection regulations
Your identity is never shared with sponsors or outside parties.
Can I stop participating once the study begins?
Yes.
You may withdraw at any time, for any reason, without losing access to future care or benefits.
Your decision will never affect your relationship with our team.
What is an Informed Consent Form (ICF)?
The ICF is a document that:
- Explains the study purpose
- Describes what will happen during participation
- Lists possible risks and benefits
- Outlines your rights as a participant
You will have time to read it, ask questions, and decide whether to join — no pressure, no obligation.
Who reviews and approves the study?
Every study is reviewed and approved by an Independent Review Board (IRB).
The IRB ensures:
- Ethical conduct
- Protection of participant rights
- Clear and accurate consent forms
- Safety of all participants
The IRB continues oversight throughout the entire study.
Who will see my data or samples?
Only authorized BioPartners clinical staff can access your identifiable information.
Any data or samples shared with researchers or sponsors are de-identified — meaning they cannot be traced back to you.
Your privacy is always protected.
Do I need health insurance to participate?
No.
Health insurance is not required, and your insurance will not be billed for study-related procedures.
How do I know if I’m eligible for a study?
Eligibility depends on factors such as:
- Age
- Health conditions or symptoms
- Pregnancy/postpartum status (for some studies)
- Medical history
- Study-specific requirements
Our screening team will help determine whether a study is a good fit for you.
How do I apply to participate?
Joining a study is easy:
- Submit a short online application
- Complete a brief pre-screening call
- Attend a study visit if eligible
- Receive follow-up communication (if needed)
Who can I contact with questions?
Our team is always here to help.
If you have questions about eligibility, safety, or the study process, please contact our research staff at any time.
What types of studies does BioPartners support?
We support:
- Phase II–IV clinical trials
- IVD and diagnostic performance studies
- Device usability and human factors research
- Prospective biospecimen collection studies
- Observational and registry-based research
- Retrospective biospecimen retrieval
- Longitudinal and multi-timepoint sampling
Our integrated CRO + clinical site model allows for rapid, consistent, and high-quality study execution.
Which therapeutic areas do you specialize in?
We have experience across more than six major therapeutic areas, including oncology, infectious diseases, respiratory conditions, endocrine and metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, women’s health, urology, and rare diseases.
We are able to expand into new therapeutic areas as required by the study.
Do you offer full-service CRO support?
Yes.
BioPartners provides complete end-to-end study management, including:
- Protocol development
- Feasibility & patient population assessments
- IRB submissions
- Monitoring & quality oversight
- Data and documentation management
- Study reporting and closeout
Sponsors may choose full-service support or individual services as needed.
Can BioPartners function as both a CRO and a clinical site?
Yes — this is one of our core strengths.
We operate as a global full-service CRO and an independent, actively enrolling clinical research site.
This dual structure reduces hand-offs, accelerates start-up, and ensures consistent oversight and documentation.
What is your experience with IVD and diagnostic validation studies?
We have extensive experience with:
- Sensitivity & specificity evaluations
- Comparator and method correlation studies
- Multi-swab and multi-matrix testing
- CLIA-waived and point-of-care device assessments
- Self-collection and usability studies
- Enrollment of symptomatic & asymptomatic populations
Our workflows generate regulatory-ready datasets for FDA, CE, and global submissions.
What countries or regions do you operate in?
We operate in:
- United States — independent research site (California)
- Eastern Europe — strong partner site network
This allows global access to diverse patient populations and rapid recruitment.
How quickly can BioPartners start a study?
Due to our integrated model and established processes, we provide:
- Rapid feasibility assessments
- Fast IRB submission and approval
- Immediate site activation upon approval
- Accelerated patient recruitment
Sponsors typically experience significantly shorter start-up timelines with us.
How does BioPartners ensure study quality and compliance?
Our Quality Management System (QMS) aligns with:
- ICH-GCP
- FDA regulations
- HIPAA & GDPR
- ISO-aligned quality and security standards
- IRB-approved protocols
We maintain:
- Controlled SOPs
- Training and competency documentation
- Internal audits
- CAPA processes
- Complete traceability
We are audit-ready at all times.
How does BioPartners manage IRB oversight and ethical review?
All BioPartners studies undergo review and approval by an Independent Review Board (IRB) before initiation.
IRB oversight ensures:
- Ethical conduct of research
- Protection of participant rights and welfare
- Accuracy and transparency of the Informed Consent Form (ICF)
- Compliance with federal regulations and ethical guidelines
We collaborate with well-established central IRBs, enabling fast turnaround times and rapid activation.
Ongoing responsibilities include:
- Continuing reviews
- Reporting of AEs, SAEs, and protocol deviations
- Amendment submissions
Continuous ethical oversight throughout the study
How do you handle data privacy, de-identification, and confidentiality?
BioPartners uses rigorous de-identification procedures that comply with HIPAA, GDPR, and FDA guidance.
Our privacy protections include:
- Coded participant IDs instead of names
- Secure, encrypted data systems
- Access restricted to authorized team members
- Separate storage of identifiable data
- Removal of all personal identifiers before sharing with sponsors
- De-identified biospecimen labeling with no personal information
All datasets provided to sponsors are fully de-identified, secure, and regulatory compliant, ensuring participant privacy while supporting high-quality analysis.
How do you ensure biospecimen integrity?
We follow validated, standardized procedures for:
- Sample collection
- Centrifugation, aliquoting, stabilization
- Storage at 2–8°C, –20°C, –80°C
- Chain-of-custody and tracking
- IATA-certified shipping
All samples include detailed metadata and processing records.
Can BioPartners support multi-site studies?
Yes.
We can operate as:
- A lead site in U.S.-based multi-site studies
- A U.S. site within global studies
- A CRO overseeing multiple U.S. and international sites
We also offer robust site coordination and oversight.
What patient populations can you access?
We recruit:
- Healthy volunteers
- acutely or chronically ill adults
- Pregnant or postpartum individuals (if applicable)
- Diverse demographic and socioeconomic populations
- Disease-specific cohorts
- Rare and hard-to-recruit indications
Recruitment is tailored to each protocol.
Do you provide feasibility assessments?
Yes.
Feasibility responses are typically delivered within days and include:
- Recruitment projections
- Inclusion/exclusion considerations
- Operational and logistical requirements
- Site capabilities
- Timeline expectations
What regulatory documentation do you provide?
We provide a full suite of regulatory and site documentation, including:
- IRB approvals
- ICF versions
- Investigator CVs, licenses, training certificates
- Delegation logs
- SOP summaries
- Regulatory binder contents
- Laboratory certifications (as applicable)
- CLIA-related documentation
- Site qualification materials
What is your pricing model?
Pricing is based on:
- Study procedures and complexity
- Sample or visit volume
- Processing and logistics requirements
- Recruitment expectations
- Study duration
We provide transparent quotes and support iterative revisions.
How do I initiate a new study with BioPartners?
Simply submit your request.
Our team will respond promptly with next steps, feasibility timelines, and required documentation.