Developing Treatments
Medical research aims to discover new medications, therapies and medical interventions to treat various health conditions.
The need for medical research
Preventing Illnesses
Researchers work to identify factors that contribute to the development of diseases and explore preventive measures.
Improving Diagnostics
Medical research contributes to the development of advanced diagnostic tools and techniques, enabling healthcare professionals to detect diseases earlier, with greater accuracy, and often before symptoms appear.
Enhancing Public Health
Researchers can provide valuable insights to public health officials by studying population health trends and behaviours. This information guides the development of policies and interventions to promote overall wellbeing and prevent the spread of diseases.
Advancing Medical Knowledge
Medical research contributes to the scientific community's general knowledge pool. This knowledge is shared through publications, conferences and collaborations.
Our impact on medical research
The Hospital Research Foundation is dedicated to driving advancements in medical research. You can see our full list of projects in our Impact Report, which includes support for groundbreaking research like:
- investigating new bowel cancer screening methods to fast-track bowel cancer diagnoses Â
- bringing a ground-breaking therapy to human trials for children with brain cancer
- treating deadly sepsis in Intensive Care through a trial of Vitamin C mega-doses
- developing a world-first imaging device aimed at better diagnosing heart attacks Â
- finding a cure for inflammatory bowel disease through faecal (poo) transplants
- and so much more!
Some of the more common diseases that affect our loves ones include:
Heart disease stands as the primary cause of death in the country, giving rise to conditions like heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmias, which commonly affect our community.Â
Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women, with 18,000 Australians diagnosed each year, resulting in a heartbreaking 3,000 deaths annually.Â
Prostate cancer takes the lead as the most common internal cancer in Australian men, impacting approximately 18,000 males annually. Unfortunately, 3,000 will succumb to the disease each year.Â
Brain cancer is particularly challenging to treat and regrettably claims more lives among Australian children than any other disease. It also takes more lives among people under 40 than any other type of cancer.Â
Clinical trials for medical research
What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are meticulously designed research studies involving human volunteers that test new treatments, interventions or diagnostic methods. These trials evaluate potential medications, medical devices, surgical techniques, behavioural therapies or preventive strategies.
How do clinical trials advance medical research?
Clinical trials play a crucial role in driving medical advancements by:
- Determining safety and effectiveness: Clinical trials generate rigorous data to determine whether a new treatment works and is safe for broader use.
- Improving existing treatments: Trials can compare new treatments to existing ones, identifying potentially better patient options.
- Discovering new treatment possibilities:Â Clinical trials open avenues for investigating entirely new approaches to preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases.
Medical research vs. Clinical research
Medical research is a broad umbrella term encompassing all scientific investigations to improve our understanding of health and disease. Clinical research is a specific type of medical research that directly involves human participants.
Purposes of Clinical Trials
Improving Standards of Care
Findings from clinical trials can lead to establishing new standards of care, influencing clinical guidelines and practices. Continually refining medical practices ensures patients receive the most effective and up-to-date treatments.
Addressing Unmet Medical Needs
Clinical trials address unmet medical needs, such as rare diseases or conditions with limited treatment options.
Innovating Medical Technologies
Clinical trials often involve testing and validating new medical technologies, such as diagnostic tools or medical devices. This contributes to developing cutting-edge technologies that enhance the precision and efficiency of healthcare interventions.
Ethics of medical research
Medical research holds the potential to improve lives, but it must always prioritise the wellbeing, rights and dignity of research participants. Strict ethical guidelines are in place to protect those who contribute to scientific advancements.
Guiding principles
In Australia, any research involving humans or using personal information must adhere to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. This comprehensive framework ensures:
- Respect for participants: Individuals are treated with dignity and their informed consent is paramount.
- Research merit and integrity:Â Studies must be scientifically sound and have potential benefits.
- Justice:Â Research is conducted fairly, with risks and benefits equitably distributed.
- Beneficence: Researchers strive to maximise benefits and minimise potential harm.
Oversight and approval
Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) play a vital role in upholding ethical standards. An HREC must approve all research proposals involving humans before they can begin.
Resources for Further Information
- Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care:Â https://www.health.gov.au/topics/health-data-and-medical-research/about-health-and-medical-research
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC):Â https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/research-policy/ethics-and-integrity
How is medical research funded?
Medical research is a complex and often expensive endeavour. Funding is vital for:
- Supporting researchers: Salaries, training and career development for scientists working on healthcare innovations.
- Laboratory resources: Equipment, materials and technology needed to conduct experiments and gather data.
- Clinical trial costs: Funding patient recruitment, medical procedures and data analysis in clinical studies.
The Hospital Research Foundation’s funding model
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The power of community support: Donations and fundraising efforts are essential. Your generosity translates into groundbreaking research projects. To make a difference, see how you can support our mission here.
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Commercial initiatives: We run initiatives like the Hospital Research Foundation Home Lottery, where significant proceeds go to our life-changing medical research.
Our impact: Successes enabled by funding
Thanks to the support of generous donors and funding sources, we have enabled significant advances in medical research. Explore some of our impact here.
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Research Areas
The Hospital Research Foundation Group supports world-class medical research and patient care activities from pregnancy to end-of-life and all the devastating diseases in between.
Translational Research
The Hospital Research Foundation Group has been funding translational medical research and healthcare initiatives in South Australia for nearly 60 years.
Services
At The Hospital Research Foundation Group, we are proud to offer a range of healthcare services for people battling disease and illness.
Grants
Each year The Hospital Research Foundation Group offers a number of competitive grants which target disease areas important to our supporters and the broader community.
