Why We Need your Nasal Swabs

Do you ever wonder why you get paid for swabbing your nose at our office?
It's a question that many don't understand the answer to, and it keeps many people from participating in our research studies. We use your nasal swab samples to run 2 tests for COVID, Flu, or RSV, and compare the results to see how the new test compares to already approved tests.
In order for the United States government to allow a company to sell a new medical product (devices, drugs, etc.), it must be tested using real patients to verify the safety and efficacy. Companies spend millions of dollars to develop a new medical device, but before it can actually be sold, they need patients like you to test their device for them and provide data that they can submit to the FDA. Simply put: Device companies need you (and are happy to pay you) so that they are allowed to sell their product and therefore make back the millions they have already invested.
These new devices must be tested on “intended users”. For the COVID/Flu swab studies, that means that you must have symptoms that could align with COVID or Flu in order to participate. However, you do NOT have to think that you have COVID or Flu to help. In order to be approved, these companies have to collect data on their device showing a certain number of both positive AND negative cases.
 
Most people cannot believe that they can get paid for providing nasal swabs; that’s why we need your help! Personal referrals are the best way to spread the word about our research studies so that we can get more people involved. We need your help to let your friends and family know to give us a call when they get sick.
A few reminders about our swab studies:
  • You do NOT have to be a patient of Koch Family Medicine to participate.
  • You need to have CURRENT symptoms of COVID, Flu, or RSV to participate.
  • If you receive a positive COVID, Flu, or RSV diagnosis, then we ESPECIALLY want you to call us as soon as you are diagnosed so you can join and help with our studies!
  • Participation in one of our COVID-19 testing research studies will take less than an hour of a participant’s time (typically ~30 minutes) and consists of providing 2-3 nasal swabs and some information about current symptoms and vaccine history.
  • Some of our studies require that you test yourself using a new device and give feedback on the ease of use while on others the tests are completed by a member of our team.
  • ​All of our research studies compensate participants for their time; compensation is typically $75 to $200.
 
To sign up for a nasal swab study when you develop any new symptoms, please call our office at 309-263-2411 and press 5 for Research.

How it Works

  1. Contact us at 309-263-2411 (ext. 5), to let us know when you have any new symptoms of COVID, Flu, RSV, or allergies, such as sore throat, runny nose, congestion, headache, muscle/body aches, diarrhea, fever, shortness of breath, new loss of taste or smell, etc.
  2. Our research team will go over your current symptoms to determine what studies you qualify for and schedule a time for you to come participate.
  3. Before being tested, our research team will review a document with you called the “Informed Consent”. This document explains everything about the clinical trial that will pay you for your time.
  4. The only information required for the clinical trial will be some basic information about your symptoms, vaccine status, and demographics; your contact information will NOT be provided to the testing company.
  5. We will collect 2-3 swabs to run your test and provide the additional swab(s) to the testing company.
  6. After the swabs are collected and the test is complete, you will be paid for your participation and you will have no additional follow-up for the clinical trial. The visit will typically take 30-40 minutes and compensation is typically $75 to $200.
  7. Some of the clinical trials will require that you come into our office to test yourself so that you can provide user-feedback on the test that is designed for at-home-use; other tests will be carried about completely by our staff.
  8. Information collected during these studies is reviewed by the FDA to determine whether the new tests are accurate enough to be used by the general public; since viruses frequently mutate, studies for new nasal swab tests are continually coming out and looking for volunteers to help provide samples for testing.