Clinical research involves studying human subjects to advance scientific knowledge, often through clinical trials. It can test new treatments, gather demographic information, or use tissue samples. Ethics committees and government organizations oversee studies, which require informed consent and ethical reviews. Clinical research is critical for advancing medicine and improving patient care.
Clinical research is a form of medical research that involves the study and use of human subjects to further scientific knowledge. One of the most classic forms of clinical research is a clinical trial, where a group of patients is used to test a new drug, treatment or device. Because this type of research involves the use of human subjects, it is accompanied by a number of legal and ethical issues, and studies must be carefully vetted by ethics committees and government organizations that oversee medical research.
People may conduct clinical research for a variety of reasons. It can be used to test a new treatment or approach to disease, which may include preventative care, advanced screening techniques, new diagnostic methods, or supportive care for people with terminal illness. The search can also be used to gather demographic information about particular groups of people, or in epidemiology studies that track the spread of disease through various human populations.
In addition to using real humans, clinical research can also involve tissue samples from living humans. The tissue can be healthy or diseased and can come from a variety of sources, ranging from pathologists to voluntary donors. A cancer researcher, for example, might work with samples of various cancers from real patients, usually with identifying information redacted for patient privacy and to ensure study integrity.
When a researcher puts together a clinical trial, they must provide a justification for the study, demonstrating that it is necessary, and must show how the patients in the study will be treated and protected. Informed consent is usually key so that patients involved in clinical research understand exactly what is going on and how they may be affected by the study, as well as ethical reviews to determine that the nature of the study does not cross ethical boundaries.
For universities, government health agencies, and science laboratories, this type of research is critical to the advancement of science and medicine. Clinical research is constantly underway around the world to provide researchers with more insight into a range of issues, from the safety of a new eczema drug to better palliative care for cancer patients. Patients who participate in clinical research can sometimes have access to cutting-edge healthcare and treatment while improving the cause of the man as a whole. Information about ongoing trials is often available from physicians and academic institutions conducting clinical research.
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