VOIi. 8, NO. 1
FEBRUARY,
DTTRIIAM, X. C.
Sev(*ii-\veek old Jaiiu's Kussoll has tlip honor of beiiip: one of the iirst patients
admitted to Duke’s Cliiiieal Research Unit, liorn with a nial-funetion of liis
adrenal fjland, ,limniy will be carefully followed for a month or more. This
complete evaluation will enable his ])liysiciau. Dr. Robert Stempfel, to control
his difficulty more effectively over the years. With round-th(?-elock special
nursing (fjiven here by Mrs. Kileen Clark, rif^ht) ])lus the added attraction
of havinjj liis mother, ill’s. Hubert Fussell, left, ol Rose Hill, N. (\, roomin;'
in with him, little -linnny still seems tinim|)ressed with his curreiit lot in life!
(Photo by S]iarks)
Clinical Research—A
New Concept of Medi
cine Conies to Duke
We at Duke are learninj^ to take
prof?ress in stride as we witness the
fjrowth of the hospital over the past
few years. With the admission of
this baby, Duke Hosjiital launches
its Clinical Research Prorram—a pro
gram which promises to be another
milestone at Duke Hospital.
Since the first public announcement
of this ])rofrram at the end of October,
Duke employees have heard the term
clinical research mentioned, but be
cause it is so “high-soundin",” i)rob-
ably many haven’t a clear notion of
just what it means.
Dr. Barnes Woodhall, Duke Medi
cal School dean, tells \is that the pur
pose of clinical research is “the care
ful study of what takes place in
various disease states” with “pre
cise evaluation of the effectiveness of
new drugs and treatment methods.”
Dr. Frank Engel, professor of uu'd-
icine, nmler whose direction the pro
gram has been establislied, explains
that clinical research is “the devel
opment of new techniques for better
treatment.” This new unit will “ex
tend, faeilitate and speed up the usu
al services expected of a large uni
versity hospital.”
The vital place of research has be
come recochized by the ])ublic in the
past decade. As rapidly as research
enables our physicians to offer more
to the patient, the patient is entitled
to benefit. AVhile extensive research
goes on every day in l^uke’s labora
tories, the clinical facilities for study
ing and treating the patient with
little understood disease have been
abnost nonexistent. Even a wealthy
])atient finds a ])rolonged hos])italiza-
tion hard to afford and for the oc
casional patient who could undergo
such a study the highly trained staff
necessary to support a clinical re
search study has not been available.
For these reasons—the great expense
and the lack of facilities—other ]>ri-
vately endowed hos]iitals across the
country have had similar difficulties.
For many years the federal govern
ment lias tried in part to nu'ct tliis
need liy ttu' establishment of the Na
tional Institutes of Health as a re
search facility for the Public Health
Service. 'I’herc' ])atients cotdd be
studied for ])rolonged ])criods at no
ex])ense to the ])atient. Hut as tinu^
went on this system was felt to be
inade(|uate. Aher all, few jiatients
can just pack up and go to Washing-