Medical research is research conducted to aid the body of knowledge in the field of medicine. This can be divided into two general categories. New treatments that are tested in Clinical trials, and all other research contributing to the development of new treatments.

New Treatments

These refer to any form of previously untested treatment for a particular pathology. This can take the form of a new surgical procedure, a new drug, or a new treatment regiment. These are extensively tested in clinical trials prior to widespread use.

Other Research

New treatments come about as a result of other, earlier discoveries - often unconnected to each other, and in various fields. Sometimes the research is done for non-medical purposes, and only by accident contributes to the field of medicine (see also antibiotic, penicillin). Clinicians use these discoveries to create a treatment regiment, which is then tested in clinical trials.