Clinical research, which involves clinical trials and other research protocols, are strictly controlled human studies of new and emerging therapies. This type of research involves real people participating in studies that are done to test whether a new drug, a new prevention strategy, or a new screening test is safe and effective in people.

Clinical research allows doctors from various disciplines to evaluate new forms of treatment, how best to apply recent developments in medicine, and to ensure that patients have the opportunity to receive the latest state-of-the-art care.

Clinical trials and clinical research at Care New England must first be approved by an Institutional Review Board, which includes doctors, administrators, ethicists and members of the general public. Volunteers are fully informed of possible risks and sign a consent form before being accepted into a clinical trial.