What is a Clinical Study?

A clinical study research is medical research using human volunteers (also called participants or subjects) that is intended to gain medical knowledge with the goal of improving health and well-being of people. There are two main types of clinical studies: (1) clinical trials (also called interventional studies) and (2) observational studies.

Clinical trials evaluate medical, behavioral, or surgical interventions in human subjects to prevent, detect or treat a disease. Observational studies observe human subjects to gather information about health conditions and often compare those changes over time.

A principal investigator, who is often a medical doctor, is a clinical research professional who leads and is responsible for the clinical study. Investigators are responsible for ensuring that the study is conducted in accordance with the protocol and that all data is collected and reported accurately. Clinical research professionals may also be comprised of sub-investigators, co-investigators, clinical research coordinators, technicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.