a pre-planned research study conducted in humans to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and/or optimal use of a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention. Unlike basic scientific research, which is often laboratory-based, clinical trials are carried out in patients or healthy volunteers and are designed to generate evidence directly applicable to patient care.
Abbreviation: CT
Synonyms: Clinical Research Study, Interventional Study, Therapeutic Trial, Drug Development Study
Example
A hospital conducts a clinical trial to test a new physical therapy program for people recovering from knee surgery. Participants are randomly assigned to either the new therapy program or the standard rehabilitation approach, and researchers compare recovery times, pain levels, and mobility outcomes between the groups to determine whether the new program is more effective.