Clinical research is the key step in translating biomedical discoveries into new approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of human illnesses.
In the last few decades, landmark developments in genetics, bioengineering, neuroscience, and molecular and structural biology have vastly increased our understanding of the causes of disease and raised new possibilities for treatment and prevention. However, there is a gap between the pace of scientific and technological advancements and the successful translation of this science into effective medical and health practices at the bedside, in the clinic, and in the community.
The AAMC believes that medical schools and major teaching hospitals — in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, foundations, and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries — are uniquely responsible for providing both the institutional support and the rigorous training necessary to conduct high quality, hypothesis-driven clinical research and to nurture physician-scientists equipped to exploit scientific opportunities.
Publications and Presentations
- Principles for Protecting Integrity in the Conduct and Reporting of Clinical Trials: Outlines principles and standards to help guide institutions and their investigators in the analysis and reporting of clinical trials in which they participate. (Jan. 2006)
- Universal Use of Short and Readable Informed Consent Documents: How Do We Get There (PDF): This report presents the findings of an expert panel convened to develop a strategy to foster the common usage of informed consent documents that are short and written in simple language, enabling potential subjects to make truly informed decisions about participating in research studies.
- Creating Informed Consent Documents That are Approachable, Readable, and Brief (PDF): This July 31, 2007 presentation to the Health and Human Services Secretary's Advisory Committee on Human Research Protection highlights the findings and recommendations of an expert panel convened by the AAMC on May 30, 2007.