What is it?
This day is an international event which aims to raise awareness of clinical research. It is also an opportunity to say thank you to the patients, staff and members of the public who are supporting clinical research or are involved with it.
Why is it important?
Clinical research allows us to find out the best treatments and care for illnesses. Given the Covid-19 pandemic, this is more important than ever. We use evidence-based medicine to treat patients, and this evidence comes from clinical research.
What’s with the boat and oranges?
The 20th of May marks the first controlled clinical trial - which was done at sea!
In 1747, the Scottish doctor James Lind was working on a ship and he noticed that many men on board were suffering from scurvy. He decided to investigate the effect of eating oranges and lemons during a sea voyage. He found that sailors who were given lemons and oranges were in much better health than those who weren’t. Since that day, clinical research has been changing and evolving. How we do research now often involves technology and data. Researchers are also encouraged to involve stakeholders in the design, such as patients, charities or members of the public.