Improving clinical research

doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7422.999

BMJ 2003;327:999-1000 (1 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7422.999

Editorial

Improving clinical research

Failure to support clinical research now will cost human liveslater

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In the post-genome era, clinical research couldn't be simpler.Exposure to human disease stimulates an enquiring mind to investigateunderlying pathogenesis or new therapeutic targets. New functionsare ascribed to genes that shed new light on cellular biology.Exciting stuff, but I am a clinician first and desperate toreturn this new found knowledge to patients to improve theiroutcome. It is here that the system fails us, resulting in adetrimental impact on the NHS and care for patients. The Academyof Medical Sciences has identified several factors that impairtranslational research¹—defined as experimental medicineand clinical trials. Lack of research funding for clinical trials,inadequate facilities to undertake patient orientated clinicalresearch, limited numbers of clinical academics, the threatof increasingly complex legal and ethical governance issues,and failings in the NHS are highlighted as contributory factors.Eleven recommendations are made.

Modelled on the clinical research centres . . . [Full text of this article]

Paul M Stewart, professor of medicine

University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham B15 2TH (p.m.stewart@bham.ac.uk)

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