How compensation works
Some clinical studies compensate participants for their time and travel. Here's how that works — and what xMedica does and doesn't do.
Compensation from clinical studies
What is usually covered
Many studies reimburse travel costs and the time a visit takes. Some also pay a stipend for each visit or for the study as a whole. Amounts differ widely from one study to another and from one country to another, and many studies offer nothing at all.
Who decides it
The study sponsor sets the compensation. An independent ethics committee (in some countries called an IRB) has to review and approve it before the study can start. Part of that review is making sure the amount is not so large that it would push someone into taking a risk they would otherwise refuse.
Where you will see the exact figure
In the informed-consent document that the study site gives you. It states the exact compensation, and what is reimbursed, before you agree to anything. You can take the document away, read it at home and ask questions before you sign. If a figure is not written there, ask the study team for it in writing.
It is for your time, not a reason to take part
Compensation covers time, travel and inconvenience. It is not payment for taking a risk, and it should not be why you join a study. Read what the study involves, what the risks are and what happens if you stop, and discuss it with your own doctor before deciding. You can leave a study at any time without giving a reason.
xMedica does not pay participants and is not involved in study compensation in any way. All payments come from the study sponsor through the study site, under ethics-committee oversight.
Earning rewards on xMedica
Separately from any study, xMedica may reward you for work that keeps this index accurate and complete. These rewards have nothing to do with clinical studies.
Completing or updating your health profile
A fuller profile makes the search work better for you and for everyone using it. You earn this once the profile is saved.
Inviting a friend
The reward is earned at the moment your friend creates an account, and at no later point. It does not change if they search, contact a study, or take part in one.
Platform rewards are for helping keep xMedica accurate and complete. They are never linked to joining, being referred to, or being contacted about any clinical study. Whether you participate in a study has no effect on your rewards, and rewards have no effect on your eligibility.
Common questions
Will xMedica pay me to join a trial?
No — and no legitimate platform will. Anything paid in connection with a study has to be set by the sponsor and approved by an ethics committee, precisely so that nobody can be induced into research by money. A site offering you its own payment to enrol is operating outside that oversight, and you should treat it with caution.
How do I find out what a specific study pays?
Ask the study site, and read the informed-consent document they give you — that is where the exact figure has to appear before you agree to anything. Registry listings sometimes mention compensation, but they are not required to and are often out of date, so treat the consent document as the only reliable source.
Are rewards taxable?
They may be. It depends on where you live, how much you receive and your own circumstances, and the rules differ from country to country. We cannot advise on this — please ask a tax professional in your country.
Can I lose rewards if I don't join a study?
No. Rewards are earned for platform activity and are complete the moment that activity is done. Declining a study, ignoring a contact request or leaving a study you had joined changes nothing about them. The separation runs both ways: your rewards have no effect on whether a study will accept you.
Who can I ask?
For anything about a specific study — including what it compensates — ask that study's team; their contact details are on the study page. For questions about this site or about platform rewards, contact us.
Important
Nothing on this page is an offer or a guarantee of payment. Study compensation is at the sponsor's discretion and is subject to ethics-committee approval; it can change or be withdrawn. This page is not medical, legal or tax advice.