A program to facilitate clinical research in an AHC: the first five years

The authors describe the first five years, 1996-2000, of the Clinical Research Program (CRP) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The CRP was established to improve the quality and increase the quantity of clinical research within the MGH, and has concentrated on three areas: translational research, clinical trials, and outcomes research/epidemiology. The authors describe the CRP's efforts and strategies in these areas in detail, and explain the nature of the workforce, training, resources, and other factors that the CRP has brought to bear in fostering the goals in each area. The CRP's organization is also described, focusing on its administrative core and five units (e.g., the Education Unit), each of which has a distinct function in fostering clinical research. The success of the CRP's work can be measured in several ways, including greatly increased revenues from clinical trials and a large jump in the numbers of registrants for CRP courses. The authors state that CRP-type programs are essential for academic health centers (AHCs) that wish to maintain a balanced portfolio in clinical investigation in the future. They believe that AHCs that can afford to should invest in fostering their unique ability to train clinical investigators and generate new therapies for the future.