AADL is partnering with the University of Michigan Taubman Health Sciences Library and the UM Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research to bring clinical research to the people it is intended to help. This partnership, funded by grants R03 NS065493 and R03 NS065491-0 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders at the National Institutes of Health, focuses on educating the public about the results of clinical research, as well as examining the best way to increase the public’s long-term health research literacy and willingness to engage in clinical research. Programs held at AADL locations bring in experts to speak about the latest discoveries and advances in research. In turn, through survey responses, program attendees help researchers understand how the public gathers health information and how they use the information they find. Past programs from the Partners in Research series held at AADL are available online in our video collection. You can learn more about participating in clinical research at the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research's https://michr.umich.edu/
What is Clinical Research?
Clinical Research is a partnership between doctors and patients working together to improve medicine. Research can mean studying interventions, like new medicines or treatment options, to understand them better. Research can also mean comparing healthy volunteers to persons with specific conditions to learn what causes disease. The ultimate goal of all clinical research is to cure disease and improve quality of life. Clinical research is not for everyone, and sometimes new drugs or medical devices turn out not to work. However, many times clinical research leads to important medical advances that can benefit participants and future patients.
Who Performs Research?
Health care professionals, nurses, and other healthcare professionals work together to do clinical research. Clinical research is performed by health care professionals in every specialty, from family practitioners to surgeons. It can be performed at large hospitals or small community clinics. The University of Michigan is proud to be home to many top research health care professionals.
Why is Research Important?
From the medicines you pick up at the pharmacy to the most advanced surgery, modern medicine would not be possible without clinical research. In fact, the government requires that clinical research be done on every new medicine before doctors can prescribe it. Before clinical research, doctors chose medical remedies based on their best guess. Clinical research helps to take the guesswork out of designing new drugs and medical devices. A clinical research study allows doctors to find the most effective method of care. Participants in clinical research are the key to moving medicine forward.
How do you find research studies?
Search the engage database for studies, or Volunteer for research by enrolling in our online registry. Go to https://michr.umich.edu/ or call 1-877-5-ENGAGE. All studies on this site have been approved by the U-M Institutional Review Board. New studies are added often, so if you don't find one that suits you or a loved one, check back again soon.