Clinical trials are one of the steps in determining how effective a drug or treatment is in combating a disease or medical condition. Types of clinical trials.A clinical trial is a research study involving patients that is used to find better ways to diagnose, prevent or treat diseases using new drugs or new devices. A clinical trial is an organized way of studying medical treatments for diseases. Medical treatments are medicines, devices or procedures. Today, clinical trial research is no longer conducted exclusively at large university cancer centers or major metropolitan hospitals. Clinical trials are research studies that explore medical strategies, treatments or devices and determine if they are safe and effective for human use. The cancer care team at VOA has resources available for patients considering a clinical trial or currently participating in a cancer research trial. In a doubleblinded study, neither the patient nor the doctor knows which treatment is being used. Not knowing what you're getting can be hard.