What Is Clinical Research?

Clinical research is a type of scientific investigation that is conducted to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of medical treatments, drugs, devices, and interventions in humans. The goal of clinical research is to develop new knowledge and improve patient care.

Clinical research typically involves several phases, including preclinical testing on animals, Phase I studies in a small number of healthy volunteers, Phase II studies in a larger group of patients to assess the effectiveness and safety of the intervention, Phase III studies in an even larger group of patients to confirm the findings from Phase II studies, and Phase IV studies after the intervention has been approved to monitor its long-term safety and effectiveness in a larger population.

Clinical research is typically conducted by a team of researchers, including physicians, nurses, clinical research coordinators, and other healthcare professionals. The research is overseen by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee, which ensures that the study is conducted ethically and that the rights and welfare of the study participants are protected.

Ethics Committee, which ensures that the study is conducted ethically and that the rights and welfare of the study participants are protected.