20 May UW Health expresses gratitude on Clinical Trials Day

By Shaina Nijhawan, NBC15.com

UW Health is recognizing those who contribute to public health and medicine in the form of clinical trials Friday, through Clinical Trials Day.

According to UW Health, clinical trials, or research studies in which experts examine new treatments, drugs, medical devices or interventions, are essential in moving medicine forward. Clinical Trials Day is an internationally recognized date during which those who conduct and participate in clinical trials are appreciated.

Dr. Nasia Safdar, associate dean for clinical trials at UW Health, said clinical studies are needed to determine what has the most benefit and therefore yields the best patient outcomes.

“Any major advancement in medicine is the result of a clinical trial,” she said. “Medical conditions need treatments, and you can’t find out which treatment works best without a clinical trial.”

At UW Health and UW School of Medicine and Public Health, there are currently more than 300 clinical trials ongoing; everything from cancer to aging and cardiovascular diseases, chief clinical research office at UW Health Betsy Nugent said. Read more …