FAQ · reviewed 2026-08-17
Questions we can actually answer
We can explain the registry and this website. We cannot tell you whether to join a study. For definitions, see the glossary. For the rewrite rules, see methodology.
Is PlainTrials medical advice?
No. Listings are plain-English rewrites of public ClinicalTrials.gov records. They are not a diagnosis, a referral, or a recommendation to join a study. Confirm eligibility with the study team and your clinician.
Where does the data come from?
ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Each trial page keeps the NCT identifier and a hyperlink to the official record. If a rewrite disagrees with the registry, the registry wins.
What does “recruiting” mean here?
The sponsor posted Overall Status = Recruiting on ClinicalTrials.gov at the time we ingested the record. It is not a live waitlist for every hospital site.
Can you tell me if I qualify?
No. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are summarized from the public eligibility block. Only the study team can screen you (labs, imaging, consent).
Do you enroll patients or run trials?
No. PlainTrials is an open-data rewriting project. We are not a hospital, CRO, sponsor, or IRB.
How often is the catalog updated?
A scheduled job re-pulls recruiting studies from the live API and regenerates sitemap.xml. Each page shows the ingest timestamp. lastmod in the sitemap follows that ingest.
Why is a study I know missing?
This snapshot samples recruiting studies for a fixed list of conditions, drugs, and cities. It is not every NCT number on ClinicalTrials.gov. Search the official registry as well.
May I reuse the plain-English text?
Registry fields are US government work. Our enrichment rewrites are licensed CC BY 4.0. Keep NCT attribution. See /data and the repository license.