Understanding Healthcare Research
Healthcare research plays a critical role in providing up-to-date information on what works, and what doesn't work, in treating diseases and conditions. This information helps improve healthcare quality by making sure that: patients do receive the right treatment, at the right time, and in the right way, and that they don't receive treatments that are unnecessary or harmful.
You may hear about the results of healthcare research -- perhaps even studies about a condition that you or a loved one have -- on the news, or read about it in a newspaper or magazine. Scientists are constantly involved in a variety of research projects supported by the government, charitable foundations, and other public and private sector groups.
There are four main types of studies that researchers conduct about health conditions:
- Laboratory Experiments
- Clinical Trials
- Epidemiological Research
- Outcomes Research
Laboratory Experiments
Laboratory experiments are done to investigate the cause of a disease, or how a drug or treatment works. They are usually carried out on cells or tissue, or on laboratory animals. New therapies are tested on people only after laboratory and animal studies show promising results.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies in which new treatments -- drugs, diagnostic tests, procedures, vaccines, and other therapies -- are tested in people to assess their safety and effectiveness. Ideas for clinical trials usually come from researchers. Once researchers test new therapies or procedures in the laboratory and get promising results, they begin planning the first phase of a clinical trial. Clinical trials are sponsored by government agencies: such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH); pharmaceutical companies; individual physician- investigators; health care institutions such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs); and organizations that develop medical devices or equipment.
Trials can take place in a variety of locations, such as hospitals, universities, doctors' offices, or community clinics. Clinical trail participants are randomly assigned to different treatment groups -- some get the research treatment, others get a standard treatment, or they may be given a "placebo" or no treatment. The groups are monitored, and results are compared to evaluate whether or not the treatment works.
Some terms you may encounter when reading or hearing about clinical trials:
Protocol. All clinical trials are based on a set of rules called a protocol. A protocol describes what types of people may participate in the trial; the schedule of tests, procedures, medications, and dosages; and the length of the study. While in a clinical trial, participants are seen regularly by the research staff to monitor their health and to determine the safety and effectiveness of their treatment.
Placebo. A placebo is an inactive pill, liquid, or powder that has no treatment value. In clinical trials, experimental treatments are often compared with placebos to assess the treatment's effectiveness. In some studies, the participants in the control group will receive a placebo instead of an active drug or treatment.
Control group. A control is the standard by which experimental observations are evaluated. In many clinical trials, one group of patients will be given an experimental drug or treatment, while the control group is given either a standard treatment for the illness or a placebo.
Blinded or masked study. A blinded or masked study is one in which participants do not know whether they are in the experimental or control group in a research study. Those in the experimental group get the medications or treatments being tested, while those in the control group get a standard treatment or no treatment.
Double-blind or double-masked study. A double-blind or double-masked study is one in which neither the participants nor the study staff know which participants are receiving the experimental treatment and which ones are getting either a standard treatment or a placebo. These studies are performed so neither the patients' nor the doctors' expectations about the experimental drug can influence the outcome.
Epidemiological Research
Epidemiology is the scientific study of diseases including the occurrence and distribution of diseases in a population, and the factors that govern their spread. Epidemiological research looks at:
- The natural course of diseases in a particular group of people.
- Relationships between people and their health habits, life styles, and environment.
- Risk factors for certain diseases.
Results of these studies are applied to the development and implementation of disease control and prevention methods.
Outcomes Research
Outcomes research uses a wide variety of information about the quality and effectiveness of specific treatments in the real world. Outcomes research can tell whether treatments work better for certain types of patients or in specific situations. Measurements of outcomes include parameters such as improved health, lowered morbidity or mortality, and improvement of abnormal states such as elevated blood pressure.
Based on these measurements of the end results of treatment, recommendations can be made about specific treatments -- whether they work or not, and which ones are most likely to give the best results with the fewest risks. This is known as evidence-based medicine. Sometimes these recommendations are gathered together in clinical practice guidelines. Doctors and other healthcare providers use this kind of information to help you weigh the risks and benefits of your treatment options.
Information provided by the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
and the National Institutes of Health
Article Created: 2000-05-31
Article Updated: 2000-05-31
Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.
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