Clinical research trials have always played an important role in improving patient care. Clinical trials provide both doctors and patients with vital information that can advance medical treatment. Getting the most out a trial requires proper study design, planning, and study management throughout the course of the trial.

The 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) Clinical Research Forum, “The Art and Science of Designing and Completing Clinical Trials in Orthopaedics,” is designed to give anyone who has or wants to participate in a clinical research trial the tools to create and manage a successful study.

“This is the third year of the clinical research forum,” said James G. Wright, MD, chair of the ORS Clinical Research Committee. “In the first year, we discussed why we need clinical trials and various approaches to answering important clinical questions in orthopaedics. Last year, we discussed how the findings of clinical trials do, and more importantly should, influence clinical practice. This year, we will shift our focus to the nitty-gritty of successfully completing a trial.”

The first of the forum’s four sections will focus on the planning phase of a clinical research trial. Topics include choosing the most appropriate study design and taking a study from being a pilot study to a main study. Participants will learn practical tools to help them get their trial organized.

The second and third sections will concentrate on the trial itself. Finding the right research staff and recruiting patients for the study as well as collecting and organizing the data are just some of the subjects that will be covered.

The final section of the forum will be dedicated to helping participants finish their trial successfully as well as manage a crisis, should one arise.

Both seasoned clinicians and young researchers preparing for their first trial will find value in attending this year’s forum. “We will have orthopaedic surgeons relating their practical and hard-earned experiences in completing trials,” Dr. Wright said. “We expect participants to learn the challenges and joys of clinical trials.”

The ORS Clinical Research Forum will be held on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. as part of the ORS 2013 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to Dr. Wright, forum organizers include Mohit Bhandari, MD; Saam Morshed, MD; George F. Muschler, MD; Kristy L. Weber, MD; and Theodore Miclau, MD. Forum attendance is included in the registration fee for the ORS Annual Meeting.