Medical schools that conduct device clinical trials are prominent on a list of 23 institutions that have received requests for information from Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) about their policies on conflicts of interest and disclosure requirements regarding financial relationships between faculty members and industry. The 23 institutions, including seven schools of osteopathic medicine, did not respond to requests from the American Medical Student Association for the same information.
The association received responses from another 126 schools, Grassley says in a statement.
A clinical trial (also clinical research) is a research study in human volunteers to answer specific health questions. Interventional trials determine whether experimental treatments or new ways of using known therapies are safe and effective under controlled environments. Observational trials address health issues in large groups of people or populations in natural settings.