FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Participation in some studies may be of direct benefit to you. For example, in some studies you may receive a treatment or service that could improve your mental health. Other studies may have no direct benefit to you, but will help us better support or meet the needs of other veterans.

Each study has different criteria for eligibility. To find out if you are eligible for a current research study, contact us at rhp_research@rush.edu or call (312) 942-1442.

Civilians are welcome to participate in certain studies if they are 18 years or older, live in Illinois, and have experienced a traumatic event in their lifetime. To find more information about studies that are currently accepting civilians, please see the Current Research Studies section of the website.

For veterans in the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP):
Throughout your time in the IOP at RHP, you will be asked to complete surveys and clinical assessments. These surveys are essential for understanding if and when we need to change parts of our IOP program, answer research questions on treatment outcomes, and maintain funding to continue providing treatment to veterans. Our research would not be possible without your time and dedication to completing surveys. Thank you!

We will ask you to complete surveys at various time points. You will be asked to complete a survey during the intake process so we can evaluate your symptoms and if the IOP will be a good fit for you. If you are accepted into the IOP, we will ask you to complete a survey within two weeks prior to attending the IOP. During your time at the IOP, you will be asked to complete brief surveys every morning prior to treatment. Your clinician will use these surveys to help guide your treatment. We also collect surveys at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months after you’ve completed the IOP so we can track how you are doing post-treatment. As a thank you for completing your follow up surveys, the research team will send you a $20 Amazon gift card for each one you complete.

For veterans and family members in the Outpatient Program (OP):
Throughout your time in Outpatient Programming at RHP, you will be asked to complete surveys and clinical assessments for your clinicians to monitor your progress throughout treatment. Your clinician will decide before each appointment which surveys they would like for you to fill out. Before telehealth appointments, you will receive an email from our Research Team with a link to electronically complete the surveys the morning of your appointment. If you attend your appointments in-person, the front desk staff will provide you with an iPad to complete them. Our research team depends on these data to help evaluate our programming and track how you’re doing. What we do would not be possible without your time and dedication. Thank you!

Yes. Your participation in a research study is completely voluntary and will not affect any treatments you may be eligible to receive at the Road Home Program or Rush University Medical Center.

Yes. You can withdraw from a study at any time with no penalty. If you withdraw, the data already collected may not be removed from the study records. Withdrawing will not affect your care at the Road Home Program or Rush University Medical Center in any way.

Some studies offer compensation for participation, usually in the form of a gift card. Compensation amounts vary by study. To see more information about studies, please see the Current Research Studies section of the website.

The location for each study varies. Some studies may allow you to complete all elements of the study virtually, while others may require you to go to the study site. To find more information about a particular study, please see the Current Research Studies section of the website or fill out the Request for Information form.

We recognize that participating in research may be particularly burdensome for our veterans as they go through IOP or OP treatment. Therefore, we open some of our trials to anyone with PTSD, including family members and support members of veterans, and civilians in general. Our mission is to research the efficacy of intensive, evidence-based treatments for people who have experienced traumatic events and innovate ways in which we can improve care.

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