Clinical studies involve research by using the human volunteers, known as participants. There are two main types of clinical studies basically, clinical trials and observational studies. However, the clinical trials organized by government normally includes both of the interventional and observational studies.
Clinical trials
Normally in clinical trials, participants receive specific interventions based on the research plan or the protocol that has been created by the investigators. Such interventions maybe the medical products such as drugs or devices, procedures. Sometimes, it changes the participants’ behavior like diet.
There are several Research clinic in Los Angeles and those are treating volunteers in this way. These trials may compare a new medical approach with a standard one that is already available. Options like a placebo and no intervention is also there. The time, a new product or approach is being studied, it is never known whether that will be helpful or not.
Investigators simply try to determine the safety and efficacy of the intervention by measuring the certain outcomes among the participants. For instance, investigators may give a drug or treatment to participants who have high blood pressure and they will observe whether their blood pressure decreases or not.
Because of such reasons, clinical trials used in drug development are basically described by phase. Such phases are defined by the Food and Drug Administration also known as FDA. Some people are there who are not eligible to participate for a clinical trials, but it can be possible that they are participants of the experimental drugs or devices outside of the clinical trial with expanded access.
Observational studies
In an observational study, the investigators normally assess the health outcomes in groups of the participants based on the researched plan or the protocol. Volunteers may receive interventions or the procedures to be the part of their routine medical care. But, the participants are not assigned for specific interventions by the investigators.
Every clinical study is led by the principal investigators and most of the time, these principals are medical doctors. Such clinical studies also have their own team that include doctors, nurses, social workers, and other health care professionals.
These studies can be sponsored, funded by pharmaceutical companies, academic medical centers, voluntary groups, and also by other organizations. Federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Defense, and also the US Department of Veterans Affairs are also for funding or sponsorship.
Such studies can take place in various locations that include hospitals, universities, doctors’ offices, and community clinics. However, the locations fully depends on the people who are conducting the event. The length of such studies vary based on the type of it. Even the participants are also told about the timing before they enroll their name for that.
Evaluating one or several interventions in order to treat a disease, syndrome or condition can be the reason of conducting such studies. There are several clinical studies that are conducted every year.