Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are an important part of medical research and are at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials (or clinical studies) look at new ways to prevent, detect or treat disease. Treatments might be new drugs, new surgeries or devices, or new ways to use existing treatments. The goal of clinical trials is to find out if a new test or treatment works and is safe. Clinical trials can also answer questions about ways to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses.

Clinical trials are carried out according to a plan called a research protocol. The protocol describes what types of patients/volunteers may take part in the study and how the investigational drug or device will be tested. The protocol explains the schedules of tests and procedures, the length of study as well as the results that will be measured.

Every clinical trial is led by a principal investigator who is often a doctor. Clinical trials also have a research team that may include doctors, nurses, social workers and other healthcare workers.

The Office of Research Administration (ORA) reviews and monitors all clinical trials and research studies performed at Parkland Health & Hospital System. As a part of this process, we work with various Parkland departments, including the Investigational Drug Service, Radiology, Pathology, Patient Financial Services, Purchasing, and IT, as well as our research partners and affiliates. 

Visit clinicaltrials.gov, from the National Institutes of Health, for a database of clinical trials.