Testing new drugs, health treatments, and medical devices requires thorough research studies, or clinical trials, in which test for safe usage and gather data to improve health care guidelines. However, clinical trials examine more than simply safety. For instance, ongoing clinical trials may test:

The effectiveness of new drugs, medical procedures (i.e., surgeries), devices, and treatment interventions.
The prevention of certain diseases or conditions via new vaccines, drugs, and devices.
New examinations or tools to identify risk factors and diagnosis of certain conditions.
The success of new diagnostic tools for specific conditions or diseases.
Supportive care options for patients with specific chronic conditions.

Clinical trials take new medical techniques and medications outside of the lab, where they have already been tested on animal subjects, and test on a small group of voluntary human participants to monitor for effectiveness, negative side effects, and any dangerous outcomes. While many human trials are still conducted in a lab or hospital setting, they are done so by a team of supportive medical professionals—such as nurses, doctors, scientists, test coordinators, social workers, and more. All participants involved in a clinical trial will read and sign a legal from indicating consent prior to any medical research taking place. This consent form clearly states that there may be unavoidable and adverse risks associated with the medical testing.

All clinical trials begin with a very clear goal, which means they are conducted with one of the following main purposes:

1. Basic science
Scientific based clinical trials aim to monitor and collect data around how a specific type of medical intervention works.

2. Screening & diagnostic
These types of clinical trials test and identify the best techniques for the diagnosis for certain diseases and health conditions.

3. Prevention
Clinical trials that focus on preventing certain diseases and conditions aim to identify means to prevent disease recurrence (i.e., cancer) via vaccines, lifestyle changes, drugs, etc.

4. Health services research
These clinical trials test the stages of health care as far as delivery, process, management, organization, and funding.

5. Treatment
Treatment style trials monitor the pros and cons of new treatments, therapies, surgeries, and drugs.

6. Supportive care
These clinical trials aim to improve care and comfort for patients with chronic diseases.