Everything we do in healthcare – every tablet that’s prescribed, every treatment that’s given and every test that’s performed – has to be first discovered and then thoroughly evaluated before it can be put into practice.

This discovery and evaluation is done in a variety of ways, which collectively we call “research.” And research that involves people, we call “clinical research.”

This free online course is all about this process of discovery and how it is used to improve healthcare. Together, we will look in detail at why we do research and how we do it. We will bring this to life through cases studies covering topics such as how research is helping to find new ways of treating and providing care for some of the major diseases including cancer and dementia. Through the course we will focus on the important ethical questions raised by clinical research and take a look into the future.

Over four weeks, we will speak to different members of a research team, including academics and clinicians from the National Institute of Health Research and the University of Leeds. We will also hear from the ordinary people who have participated in clinical research studies.

We’ll learn how they all make invaluable contributions to the process of discovery. By the end, you will have a much better understanding of not only the challenges of conducting clinical research, but also the enormous benefits that it can offer to modern healthcare.

Accreditation

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. By completing the course you will have achieved 16 hours of CPD time.

This course is designed for anyone who wants to know more about modern healthcare, and the role of clinical research and discovery within it.

It will be of special interest to students at school or college, undergraduates or postgraduates who are contemplating a career in healthcare or the life sciences, as well as health and social care professionals and practitioners who want to find out more about the role of clinical research in improving healthcare.

No previous knowledge is needed to take this course.

JOIN NOW – https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/clinical-research/