Clinical Trials—Planned Experiments Involving Patients
The term clinical trial may be applied to any form of planned experiment which involves patients and is designed to elucidate the most appropriate treatment of future patients with a given medical condition. The essential characteristic of a clinical trial is that the results based on a limited sample of patients are used to make inferences about how treatment should be conducted in the general population of patients who will require treatment in the future.
Participating in Clinical Trials Affects Thousands of Others
Clinical trials are necessary before any new drug or medical treatment becomes available to the general public. A clinical study examines the effectiveness of new treatments, and whether the treatment works as well or better than existing methods. In order to do this properly, human testing is essential. Many thousands of people take part in medical trials every year. When a qualified candidate chooses to participate in a clinical study, the research often affects thousands of others who benefit from the trial's results.