In early April I responded to an Ad on Craigslist that was recruiting women who experience pain during their menstrual cycle to participate in a Women's Period Pain Relief Patch Study. It instructed us to fill out an online form, and if we qualified, we would be contacted to participate in their study.
I was chosen to participate and I was sent an e-mail with further instructions In the e-mail it stated that we would be compensated $50.00 upon completion of the study.
When I arrived to the study site, there was about 30 other women there as well. This study was being sponsored by Dr. Sheena Kong, M.D., and Joe Noel, her assistant for the study. He can be reached at (925) 922-2560.
They briefly explained to everyone that the study was for a Womens Period Pain Relief Patch to be worn near the pelvic area during the week of one's period. And when the week was over, to fill out an exit survey, then to mail it back in. Once received, they would send us $50 for our time and effort.
However, I was NEVER PAID the final $50 compensation for participating in their clinical study, even though it was stated at the meeting and even outlined in an e-mail to the study participants. I tried contacting Joe Noel several times via e-mail and phone. When I did finally reach him via phone, I explained to him that I participated in his clinical trial, but that I was never paid the final $50 for participating in the study as promised. He stuttered, like he was trying to make up an excuse, and then said, that all the participants contact information had been stolen. I then offered to fill out another survey and send it in again. But he quickly cut me off and said, "All the results have already been recorded..." But he told me to send my contact information to him via e-mail and that he would send me the $50 compensation as promised for participating in their study.
Well, its now been over 6 months and I still was never paid the final $50 compensation for particiapting in their clinical study. I even contacted Dr Sheena Kong M.D. Via e-mail and voicemail, and even leaving a message with her receptionist, explaining that I participated in her Women's Period Pain Relief Patch Study and that I never received the $50 compensation as outlined for being a study participant.
Anyways, I have come to realize that most likely it was some type of SCAM. They were trying to get this medical device approved by the FDA for over the counter use, and it looked like they used us like guinea Pigs, took our test results and then Ran... AND NEVER FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH PROPERLY PAYING THEIR STUDY PARTICPANTS AS OUTLINED IN THEIR STUDY AGREEMENT.
Personally, I feel this was very unethical, especially for someone in the medical profession to have done, or even to have let happen. Or even if it was an error, they never returned any of my attempts to contact them to try to follow up on the matter.
For the last several months, I thought I would just let this go, but it had really been bothering me because I felt like I was scammed by Joe Noel, her assistant for the study, because I had personally talked to him via phone about this issue, and he said he would resolve the matter, but HE NEVER DID.
I just needed to write this to get it off my chest. I feel that what they did: - recruited people to participate in a clinical trial, promised them payment for participating and not following though on it, to be unethical, especially for someone in the health care field.
Beware.
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