Well-being is truly an essence of joyous living!
There is a saying from an author who says “The most exquisite pleasure in the practice of medicine comes from nudging a layman in the direction of terror, then bringing him back to safety again.” A doctor plays a crucial role in our lives and a is a pillar of safety in a healthy society. They play a significant role in rebuilding a tainted body into a fine feather. So, isn’t it imperative for doctors to be well versed in their field? The answer is unmistakably a yes!

What Is Clinical Research?

Clinical research is a medical study involving humans who partake or participate in scientific studies. It’s a well organized and ethical endeavor laid out towards the safety of medications, medical devices, and treatment procedures. The general public volunteer to help in discovering improved or healthier methods and draw near to advanced and new ways to treat, prevent, diagnose, and understand human disease. These meticulously conducted clinical investigations or scientific studies eventually leads to the development of a new era of primary or secondary preventive methods and medications.

Need for the Clinical Research Knowledge by Doctors

It’s not entirely vain to exploit the humongous research potential offered by healthcare services. Clinical research also known as Clinical trials dawns as soon as a drug is ready in the laboratory. Clinical trials help in providing valuable information in the advancement of a disease and health. The fleet in development of new drugs, technologies, and devices as well has created an increase in the need for participation of doctors.
It’s essential that the doctors receive and be updated with the understanding of the latest technologies and all of the fundamental methodologies to avoid any obstacle during their research and other activities in their field. Doctors well-versed in clinical research ensures there is adequate care given to the patients as well as the quality associated with the data during preparation.

Clinical Research Management

Physician researchers have the skills to enrich both the research studies as well as services. However, they face a variety of barriers or obstacles in this area. Hence appropriate guidance for managing the barriers is imperative. Need-based training, workshops/seminars for doctors, mentoring programs are some of them. Programs are specially designed for clinical researchers or practicing doctors.
There are multiple online research courses available like the NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships (50% of time undertaking research or educationalist training) and NIHR Clinical Lectureships (50% of the time) in the United Kingdom and a number of other growing clinical research courses. In Singapore, a program has been launched to inspire doctors to pursue a higher degree in research (either a 3- to 4-year Ph.D. or a 1-year MSc) in order to qualify them with research knowledge and skills.
The James Lind Institute provides online courses which can help physicians become clinical researchers by providing in-depth knowledge of clinical trial methodologies, study designs, biostatistics, ethics and the regulatory landscape.
An online clinical research course exclusively tailored towards physicians is also provided “Advanced Certificate in Clinical Research for Physicians”