Intangible benefits of clinical trials: a survey on a hospital research community

Abstract

The pandemic is showing the strategic role of clinical trials. They are an essential step for biomedical research and have potential life-saving impact on public health. Several studies focused on economic impact assessment models of clinical trials. Robust methods allow reliable assessment  of trials impact on population health in terms of new drugs development. The present study shows the results of a survey submitted to the research community of the IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù. Survey goal is an assessment of the partecipation to clinical trials in term of research capacity development, career improvement, health benefits, knowledge production. Results show that clinical trials promote a significant research capacity improvement in term of scientific know how development, new research network creation, diagnosys and clinical decision capability improvement, openess to new terapeuthic approches, recruitment and data management capabilities. The study points out that clinical trials enable better cures because they contribute to create better physicians, not only because they allow access to new drugs or disposals. Economic valorization, patient recruitment, internal reputation of researchers have beed highlighted as critical issues.