By Julie Carrico, MBA
Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world on May 20. Clinical Research professionals mark this day for its place in history as the beginning of modern clinical trials.
In May 1747, sailors in the British Royal Navy were more likely to die of scurvy than fighting the French and Spanish navies. Aboard the HMS Salisbury, surgeon James Lind, acting on a hunch that scurvy could be cured through the introduction of acids, recruited 12 men for his “fair test.” Dr. Lind’s experiment paved the way for new and efficient methods of planning clinical trials, and he was one of the first to conduct a clinical trial using control groups, a method still used today. Clinical Research methods have improved since this first recognized scientific clinical trial, but the basic methods Dr. Lind developed remain cornerstones of research methodology. For more information about James Lind, click here.
Dr. Lind could not have anticipated the sheer size of our modern pharmaceutical industry and the sophisticated design of today’s clinical trials. But I think he would be proud that his “fair test” led to improving the health and well-being of countless people.
At the Clinical Research Center, we too are always striving to improve medical and patient care, whether it is to obtain the most beneficial and groundbreaking studies for our patients or to make sure patients are comfortable during their research visits by offering juice or water or a warm blanket. So let us be the first to wish you… Happy Clinical Trials Day!
The Clinical Research Center is currently seeking volunteer patients in studies for Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 diabetes.
If you are interested in learning more about clinical trials, contact the Clinical Research Center at 541-766-2163, or send an email to research@corvallisclinic.com or fill out our Research Study Information Request form. And, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/corvallisclinicresearch.
– Julie Carrico is Senior Research Coordinator of The Corvallis Clinic Clinical Research Center.
