Clinical research involves studying health and illness in people and animals through clinical trials and observational studies to develop new treatments and improve healthcare and medical interventions. Clinical research is typically conducted directly on human subjects and animals or uses materials of human origin. The intention of clinical research is to generate beneficial knowledge surrounding human and animal health, including research on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.
Clinical research includes:
- Animal-oriented research
- Human-oriented research
- Development of medical devices and new technologies
- Understanding mechanisms of various diseases
- Therapeutic interventions
- Clinical trials (also known as clinical studies)
- Epidemiologic studies
- Behavioral studies
- Scientific publishing