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Clinical research is the study of health and illness in people. It is the way we learn how to prevent, diagnose and treat illness. It covers different types of scientific investigation and isn’t only about testing new medicines, although this is an important area.
Clinical research might also be concerned with how health and social care services are provided or how we promote good health or people's experience of different services and support in the community. For this reason you may see references to ‘health and social care research’ but we will use the term ‘clinical research’.
Research is about discovery, and in this context it means asking a specific question, sometimes called “the research question”, gathering data to help answer this, analysing the data to find the answer and then sharing the outcome. Undertaking research in this way means that knowledge is enhanced or gaps in knowledge are filled by using evidence, rather than assumptions.
"The NHS makes the UK one of the best places in the world to conduct health research thanks to its dedicated staff and the patients who volunteer to take part in studies. This research in turn makes the NHS better in the short term, with hospitals that are research active having better outcomes and the findings of this research then improve care for patients in the long term and make the healthcare service more productive and efficient. By supporting the research culture across the NHS we can continue to improve health for future generations."
"The NHS makes the UK one of the best places in the world to conduct health research thanks to its dedicated staff and the patients who volunteer to take part in studies. This research in turn makes the NHS better in the short term, with hospitals that are research active having better outcomes and the findings of this research then improve care for patients in the long term and make the healthcare service more productive and efficient. By supporting the research culture across the NHS we can continue to improve health for future generations."
Professor Chris Whitty is Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England, the UK government’s Chief Medical Adviser and head of the public health profession
Clinical research follows a defined pathway. While the specifics of the study are different every time, the stages and key activities in the pathway are always the same. You'll learn more about these stages later on in the section "The Clinical Research Pathway"
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