Every day, patients across Colorado use the UCHealth app to manage appointments, view test results, and communicate with their doctors. Now, UCHealth has expanded the app’s capabilities to allow patients to volunteer for clinical trials and research studies directly through the platform.
With a few taps in the UCHealth app, patients can now explore ongoing research studies, indicate their interest, and if eligible, participate in projects that aim to advance medical knowledge and improve treatments.
“When a person participates in research, they are volunteering themselves and their time — a generous gift, to say the least,” said Kirsten Raehal, senior project manager with UCHealth Research Administration.
Raehal explained that there are many types of research opportunities available. “There are all types of research, from looking at new treatments and interventions for diseases that are observational and based on patient outcomes, to the advancement of scientific knowledge that’s required to create new therapies and devices,” she said.
Currently, UCHealth experts are conducting more than 2,300 studies. While many take place near the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver, over 200 studies occur in other regions such as northern and southern Colorado. Patients may learn about study opportunities from their physicians or receive messages through My Health Connection if they qualify for specific trials.
“This pre-existing treatment relationship helps researchers connect with people who qualify for their study,” Raehal said. She added that this approach may overlook thousands who could be interested in participating for personal or altruistic reasons.
The updated My Health Connection portal allows patients to set up a personalized research profile by selecting areas of interest—such as women’s health or nutrition—and indicating whether they would consider participating as healthy volunteers. The system then matches these interests with current studies and notifies patients when relevant opportunities arise. Only after a patient expresses interest will researchers review any protected health information necessary for eligibility screening.
There are about 1.8 million patients within the UCHealth system who have access to My Health Connection; approximately 37,500 have completed their research profiles so far. Raehal noted: “The more people who complete these profiles, the more opportunities we have to connect people with studies. The goal is to have a positive impact on the future of medicine and health care.”
A new tool launched in November 2025 further simplifies searching for available studies within My Health Connection. Patients can filter options by ZIP code, hospital location preference, age, gender, and topic area before expressing interest directly through the app interface. Researchers typically respond within five business days regarding eligibility and next steps.
For those preferring not to use My Health Connection or seeking additional options beyond those listed internally at UCHealth, an extensive online database remains available without requiring an account. This resource provides brief descriptions of each study along with researcher contact details; users can also find further information via clinicaltrials.gov hosted by the National Library of Medicine.
Participation in any study is voluntary; every participant receives detailed explanations about risks and benefits before providing written consent. Individuals may withdraw from a study at any time without penalty.
Most studies at UCHealth are investigator-funded—designed by researchers using support from government grants or institutional funding—with aims focused on improving local health care practices. “Their goal is to improve health care for our local population,” Raehal said. “Our investigator might see something in the clinical setting and say: ‘This is an unmet need, and how can we improve this?’”
Industry-funded studies also occur at UCHealth but often focus on evaluating products’ safety or effectiveness developed by pharmaceutical or device companies; sometimes both approaches overlap when investigator-led teams assess industry products for specific uses.
Current projects include examining cannabinoids’ effects on traumatic brain injury symptoms such as anxiety or pain; drug trials related to diabetes management; investigations into connections between rheumatoid arthritis and lung disease; as well as CBD’s potential role in mild cognitive impairment treatment.
Patients interested in learning more can log into My Health Connection or visit UCHealth’s online database for additional details about ongoing research opportunities.
