A branch of healthcare science is clinical research. It is used to determine how effective and safe various devices, products of diagnosis, medications and other regimens of treatment are. These maybe used either for the prevention or for the diagnosis and treatment of various kinds of diseases. Many academies have options to pursue clinical research courses as a classroom program or as a distance learning program.
What are the various features of a course in clinical research?
Various soft skills are often taught along with a course in clinical research. There are many academies that can help the students to scale the gap that is present between the academics and the industry. A clinical research course has various modules. Some of them are related to health and disease while others are related to topics such as clinical studies, medical writing, research ethics, research regulations, basic biostatics, diseases and their treatment, drugs, therapeutics and other such topics.
What is the scope of medical research?
In any economy that is passing through the developing phase, the prospects for the development of a career and the system of education should complement each other. A momentum has been gained by the pharmaceutical industry globally and that cannot be matched by most other industries. The pharmaceutical industry of India is the second largest pharmaceutical industry of Asia.
In spite of having many centers of excellence for clinical research, yet the resources that are provided are quite limited and moreover quite inadequate to meet the increasing and challenging demands of the industry. Clinical Research requires team-work, specializations and operations that have restrictions on time in an environment that is multi-tasking. Thus, a large number of managers and executives are needed in clinical research.
Is clinical research the same as clinical practice?
There is a notable difference between clinical practice and clinical research. Established treatments are made use of in clinical practice whereas evidence is collected to establish a treatment in clinical research. Clinical research can be thought to be the bibliography of a medical device or a drug. Clinical research also includes various test articles from the time they are made in the lab to the time it is introduced in the market.
What are the various things to be kept in mind with respect to clinical research associates?
Many companies also offer a clinical research associate course as well. A clinical research associate is required to set up, monitor as well as complete all the clinical trials that are related to the risks, efficiency, effects of the new as well as the existing medicines. A clinical research associate might be required to design the record forms for various cases.
He might also have to take down detailed notes during a clinical study. He will also have to discuss with various medical statisticians regarding the results of the testing process. The CRA will also have to prepare reports about the progress during various stages of the study. He will also have to make sure that all the supplies are accounted for. Along with this, he needs to monitor the trial through all the stages.