Clinical trials explore new approaches to healthcare and provide evidence on safety and effectiveness. Systematic reviews are often performed using clinical trials to identify the broader evidence base on a particular intervention. These can then inform guideline development and influence patient treatment.
Clinical trials are usually registered in trials registers. This is important for research transparency and to allow other researchers to understand what other trials are taking place or are recently completed. It also helps to find information on trials that may not be published if the trial has a negative outcome.
Trial registers are usually smaller than databases, and a simple topic keyword search or browsing the registry is the best way to find relevant clinical trials.