Clinical research in dermatology: 10 steps to getting started.

Clinical research plays a very important role in the development of drugs and devices, including those for wound healing. The process of initiating a clinical trial can be rather daunting, particularly with the ever-increasing regulatory hurdles. Many clinicians are generally either not trained or have limited knowledge of these matters. In this short review, the present authors discuss the 10 most important steps required in initiating a clinical trial. This information is applicable not only to wound healing studies, but also to other investigational trials.