Governments, organizations, and private companies allocate huge funds for medical research in order to find cures for different diseases and upgrade the current state of healthcare services. This underlines the role of medical research in improving human health and attend to the growing needs in this fast-paced world.
Medical research is divided into two main categories: clinical and laboratory. Clinical research focuses on working with patients to find out more about certain diseases and potential treatments. Laboratory research, on the other hand, involves studying illnesses at a microscopic level. This means that laboratory researchers have little to no zero contact with patients.
Clinical researchers work with patients in a clinic setting. For example, the medical research clinics in Miami work closely with patients who serve as participants in the quest for explanations on and solutions to different types of ailments. The research practice can be further divided into different types such as the following:
Drug Trial
This is conducted to find out if a new medicine is safe and effective in treating the disease it is intended to cure. In some cases, the study is aimed at comparing two drugs to determine which provides better results. One example is a study that seeks to find out if a certain drug can help prevent migraines and manage their symptoms.
Device Study
Clinical researchers perform a device study to determine whether a medical piece of equipment or device can help patients. New tools are tested to ensure that they can contribute to the health of the patient and to comply with strict safety and quality protocols in the medical field. One good example would be a type of research on how a new type of hearing aid can improve the user’s hearing without causing any side effects.
Observational Study
Researchers who perform an observational study seeks to monitor the health of patients who are already provided with intervention—medication, medical device, or procedure. The study is not designed to aid in the treatment of the patient but merely to observe the participant’s health. A good example is a study that observes how a certain diet can help combat the negative effects of diabetes in a group of adults.
Procedural Study
This is conducted to assess the safety and effectiveness of a particular method of healthcare. Newly invented surgical techniques should undergo such a study before they are made available for the general public. A procedural study, for instance, may focus on how a new type of eye surgery can help patients get better eyesight.
Behavioral Study
This type of clinical research aims to find out the reasons people behave in a particular manner. A behavioral study, for instance, can be designed to determine whether a particular emotional state causes a person to act a certain way. Research revolving on whether stress makes people crave for sugar is an example of a behavioral study.
Medical research play an important role in advancing healthcare systems and ultimately promoting better health. Clinical research, in particular, helps a lot in creating solutions to healthcare problems. With the help of researchers, new medications and methods are discovered to increase people’s quality of life.
